Matt Smith (soccer, born 1982)
Matt Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Terence Smith October 14, 1982 Chichester, England |
| Occupation(s) | Footballer, Coach |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Professional footballer, assistant manager for Malaysia national team |
Matthew Terence Smith (born 14 October 1982) is a former professional footballer and current coach, serving as the assistant manager for the Malaysia squad.
Originally from England, Smith relocated to Australia where he launched his professional playing career with North Queensland Fury during the 2009–10 A-League campaign. Following this, he secured a two-year contract with Brisbane Roar at the onset of the 2010–11 A-League season. Smith has also earned caps for the Australian national team and later took charge of Brisbane City FC in the NPL Queensland starting in 2020, guiding The Azzurri through relegation to FQPL in 2021 and their subsequent promotion back to NPL Queensland in 2022.
Club career
Hailing from Chichester, England, Smith's early football experience involved competing at university level across various institutions before signing with Championship side Portsmouth.
In 2004, Smith moved to Australia for a year, then returned in 2006 after completing a master's degree in Sports Management at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire. During his time there, he captained Hartpury’s senior team to victory in the BUSA National Championship in 2007.
Upon settling in Australia, Smith played for Palm Beach followed by a stint at Brisbane Strikers. He later joined North Queensland Fury on loan as an injury replacement, stepping in for Scottish defender Scott Wilson.
Brisbane Roar
On 16 April 2010, after the conclusion of his contract with North Queensland amid ownership changes, Smith signed a two-year agreement with Brisbane Roar. He was appointed captain on 6 September 2011, taking over from midfielder Matt McKay. Smith renewed his contract on 10 September 2012, committing to the club until the end of the 2015/16 season.
Bangkok Glass
In December 2014, Smith transferred from Brisbane Roar to Bangkok Glass for an undisclosed amount.
Kitchee
Smith joined Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee on 31 December 2018.
On 12 February 2019, during the third qualifying round of the 2019 Asian Champions League, Smith received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 49th minute against Perak. Kitchee were eventually eliminated after losing in a penalty shootout.
Return to Australia
In July 2019, Smith committed to the National Premier Leagues Queensland team, Gold Coast Knights.[1] He exited the club in February 2020.[2]
Following this, Smith took on a dual role as player and football director at Brisbane City starting February 2020.[3] After serving three years as both head coach and football director, he was named general manager of Brisbane Roar in September 2022, a club where he had played in 112 matches.[4]
Managerial career
Smith was appointed head coach of BG Pathum United in October 2022, a club where he had previously served as captain and player.[5][6] In March 2023, after not achieving the desired outcomes, he was replaced as head coach but retained a position as technical coach.[7]
In July 2023, Smith returned to Australia to serve as assistant coach at Macarthur FC, working under head coach Mile Sterjovski.[8] He departed from the club in February 2025 to explore coaching opportunities abroad.[9]
Personal
On 17 May 2012, Smith wed Aicha Bendjelloul, an English national, in a civil ceremony held in Brisbane, Australia. The couple later commemorated their marriage with a celebration on the Thai island of Koh Samui. They are parents to four children: Isla, Ava, Ruby, and Owen. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Leisure Management, as well as a Master’s degree in Sports Management from Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.
A-League statistics
| Club | Season | League1 | Cup | International2 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| North Queensland Fury | 2009–10 | 11 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 11 | 0 |
| Total | 11 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Brisbane Roar | 2010–11 | 33 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 33 | 2 |
| 2011–12 | 27 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 14 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | 29 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 29 | 3 | |
| 2014–15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 106 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 112 | 6 | |
| Bangkok Glass | 2015 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 4 |
| 2016 | 31 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 30 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 30 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 26 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 3 | |
| Total | 120 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 124 | 7 | |
| Career Total | 237 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
248!!13 | ||
1 - includes statistics from the A-League finals series
2 - incorporates FIFA Club World Cup appearances; AFC Champions League data is included for seasons following the group stage
Managerial statistics
| Team | Start Date | End Date | Matches Played (P) | Wins (W) | Draws (D) | Losses (L) | Winning Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BG Pathum United | 29 October 2022 | 19 March 2023 | 9 |2 |9 |45% |
Note: Outcomes decided by penalty shoot-outs are recorded as draws in this table.
Club
- Brisbane Strikers
- Queensland State League Premiership: 2009
- Brisbane Roar
- A-League Championship titles: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14
- A-League Premiership titles: 2010–11, 2013–14
- Kitchee
- Hong Kong Senior Shield winner: 2018–19
- Hong Kong FA Cup winner: 2018–19
- Gold Coast Knights
- NPL Queensland Championship: 2019
Brisbane City
- Football Queensland Premier League Premiership: 2021
- Football Queensland Premier League Championship: 2021
Brisbane City
- Football Queensland Premier League Premiership: 2021
- Football Queensland Premier League Championship: 2021
Individual Achievements
- Selected for the PFA A-League Team of the Season in 2010–11 and 2013–14
- Named in the Football Queensland Premier League Team of the Season for 2021
- Honored as Football Queensland Premier League Coach of the Year in 2021
- Chosen as an A-League All Star in 2014
External links
- Profile at Brisbane Roar
- Interview with Matt Smith
- Former Roar captain Matt Smith’s journey from Brisbane to Bangkok
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- 1982 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Chichester
- Australian men's soccer players
- Australia men's international soccer players
- English men's footballers
- English emigrants to Australia
- Men's association football central defenders
- Gloucester City A.F.C. players
- Portsmouth F.C. players
- Chichester City F.C. players
- Cirencester Town F.C. players
- Palm Beach SC players
- Brisbane Strikers FC players
- Northern Fury FC players
- Brisbane Roar FC players
- BG Pathum United F.C. players
- Kitchee SC players
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- Thai League 1 players
- Hong Kong Premier League players
- Australian expatriate men's soccer players
- English expatriate men's footballers
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Thailand
- Expatriate men's footballers in Thailand
- 21st-century English sportsmen
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen
- A-League Men championship–winning players