List_of_international_goals_scored_by_Kelly_Smith
Kelly Smith is an English former professional footballer who played for both England and Great Britain between 1995 and 2014, and scored 46 international goals during that time.[1] Smith scored all 46 goals for England in 117 appearances,[2] making her the country's record goalscorer until Ellen White surpassed the record on 30 November 2021.[3] A prolific scorer, former teammate and England captain Steph Houghton declared Smith to be "England's best-ever player" in 2015.[2]
Smith made her international debut for England on 1 November 1995 in a 1−1 home draw with Italy, playing the entire UEFA Women's Euro 1997 qualifying match.[4] At The Valley in London 18 days later, Smith scored her first international goal in a 5−0 win over Croatia, contributing again to England's successful Euro 1997 qualifying campaign.[5] Smith scored her first international hat-trick against Hungary on 27 October 2005 in a 13−0 away win; it was the team's highest winning margin until England defeated Latvia 20−0 on 30 November 2021.[6][7] In the 2009 Women's Euro final, Smith scored in the 6−2 loss to Germany, a defeat which prolonged England's deprivation of their first major honour.[8] Smith managed 117 caps over a 20-year career with England; she was often considered one of the world's top female players with pundits, coaches and opponents frequently praising her.[9] On 8 March 2013, Smith scored her final goal for England in a 4−4 draw against Scotland in the 2013 Cyprus Cup.[1] She announced her international retirement on 3 February 2015, citing her desire to move into coaching.[2]
With London's successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the United Kingdom entered a women's team into the football tournament as hosts, despite not traditionally entering.[10] Smith played only four matches for Great Britain. She made her debut in a pre-tournament friendly against Sweden, in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. During the competition, Smith featured in the group matches against Brazil, Cameroon and New Zealand.[1] Great Britain eventually left the tournament following a 2−0 defeat to Canada in the quarter-final, a match in which Smith did not feature.[11] She never scored a goal for Great Britain.[1]