Justin Smith (soccer)

Justin Smith
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-02-04) February 4, 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Paris, France
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Espanyol B
Number 6
Youth career
0000–2017 Voisins FC
2017–2019 Paris Saint-Germain
2019–2021 OGC Nice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2024 Nice II 17 (0)
2022–2023 → Quevilly-Rouen II (loan) 14 (1)
2022–2023 → Quevilly-Rouen (loan) 6 (0)
2023–2024 → Avranches (loan) 30 (0)
2024– Espanyol B 9 (1)
2024– Espanyol 1 (0)
International career‡
2022 Canada U20 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 3, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 26, 2022

Justin Smith (born February 4, 2003) is a soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Espanyol B in the Segunda Federación. Born in France, he has represented Canada at youth international level.

Early life

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Born in France to Canadian parents, Smith holds French and Canadian nationalities.[2] He began playing soccer at age seven with Voisins FC.[3] After his U14 season, he departed Voisins and joined the Paris Saint-Germain Academy, where he played until the U17 level.[4][5] In 2019, he joined the Nice youth system.[6] At the Tournoi National U17 de QRM, he helped Nice finish fourth, being named the second best player of the tournament.[7]

Club career

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Nice

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In June 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Nice.[8] After featuring extensively in their preseason, during the 2021–22 season, he played with Nice II in the fifth-tier Championnat National 3.[9] On August 14, he was called up to the first team for the first time, for a match against Lille, where he was an unused substitute.[10] That season, he featured as a unused substitute for the first team in ten Ligue 1 matches and one Coupe de France match, but did not make an appearance.[9]

On July 1, 2022, he joined Ligue 2 side Quevilly-Rouen on loan for the season.[11][12][13] He debuted for the second team in the Championnat National 3, scoring a goal in the team's first game of the season on August 28 against SU Dives-Cabourg.[14] Smith made his first league appearance for the first team against Guingamp on February 3, 2023.[15]

In July 2023, he was loaned to third tier Championnat National side Avranches on a year-long loan.[16][17] The loan deal does not contain a purchase option.[18]

Espanyol

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In July 2024, he joined Spanish club Espanyol B in the Segunda Federación on a transfer.[19][20] He scored his first goal on September 22 against Alzira.[21][22] On November 3, he made his first team debut in La Liga, in a substitute appearance against Barcelona.[23]

International career

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In April 2022, Smith accepted a call-up to a Canada U20 camp ahead of two friendlies against Costa Rica.[24] In June 2022, he was named to the roster for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[25] Smith served as team captain during the tournament, appearing in all four of the team's matches.[9][26]

On February 26, 2024, Smith was named to the Canada national soccer team provisional roster for the 2024 Copa América qualifying play-offs against Trinidad and Tobago.[27]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of November 3, 2024[28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nice II 2021–2022 Championnat National 3 17 0 — — — 17 0
Quevilly-Rouen II (loan) 2022–2023 Championnat National 3 14 1 — — — 14 1
Quevilly-Rouen (loan) 2022–2023 Ligue 2 6 0 0 0 — — 6 0
Avranches (loan) 2023–2024 Championnat National 30 0 1 0 — — 31 0
Espanyol B 2024–2025 Segunda Federación 9 1 — — — 9 1
Espanyol 2024–2025 La Liga 1 0 0 0 — — 1 0
Career total 77 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 78 2

References

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  1. ^ "Justin Smith". OGC Nice. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Justin SMITH -".
  3. ^ Justin Smith at the Canadian Soccer Association
  4. ^ "ITW Justin Smith". Voisins FC (in French). October 8, 2021.
  5. ^ Courchay, Antonin (July 1, 2022). "Mercato Nice : Justin Smith prêté en Ligue 2 (officiel)" [Mercato Nice: Justin Smith on loan in Ligue 2 (official)]. Made in Foot (in French).
  6. ^ Mechenoua, Marc (June 30, 2022). "Le PSG, Nice, la Coupe du monde... Justin Smith arrive en prêt à QRM" [PSG, Nice, the World Cup … Justin Smith arrives on loan at QRM]. Goal (in French).
  7. ^ "Justin Smith prêté par L'OGC Nice" [Justin Smith on loan from OGC Nice (L1)]. US Quevilly-Rouen Métropole (in French). July 1, 2022.
  8. ^ "Foot/Ligue 1 – L'OGC Nice signe Smith" [Foot/Ligue 1 – OGC Nice signs Smith]. Sport & Business Mag (in French). June 18, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (June 30, 2022). "Could loan to Ligue 2's Quevilly set Justin Smith on World Cup path for CanMNT?". OneSoccer.
  10. ^ Bacquié, Maxime (August 13, 2021). "Lille - OGC Nice : Bambu absent, première apparition pour Smith" [Lille - OGC Nice: Bambu absent, first appearance for Smith]. France Bleu (in French).
  11. ^ "Justin Smith prêté à QRM" [Justin Smith loaned to QRM]. OGC Nice (in French). July 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "Le milieu de terrain de l'OGC Nice Justin Smith prêté à Quevilly-Rouen-Métrople" [OGC Nice midfielder Justin Smith loaned to Quevilly-Rouen-Métrople]. Nice-Matin (in French). July 1, 2022.
  13. ^ Lenud, Victorien (June 30, 2022). "Football - L2 : QRM va accueillir en prêt un joueur qui pourrait disputer la prochaine Coupe du Monde" [Football - L2: QRM will welcome on loan a player who could play in the next World Cup]. Paris-Normandie (in French).
  14. ^ "National 3 : Une victoire pour débuter la saison" [National 3: A victory to start the season]. US Quevilly-Rouen Métropole (in French). August 28, 2022.
  15. ^ "Football - Ligue 2 : Justin Smith attend son heure à Quevilly-Rouen" [Football - Ligue 2: Justin Smith bides his time in Quevilly-Rouen]. Paris-Normandie (in French). February 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "National: Justin Smith prêté par l'OGC Nice jusqu'en juin 2024" [National: Justin Smith on loan from OGC Nice until June 2024]. US Avranches (in French). July 10, 2023.
  17. ^ "Justin Smith (Nice) prêté à l'US Avranches" [Justin Smith (Nice) loaned to US Avranches]. Foot Normandy (in French). July 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "L'OGC Nice prête encore Justin Smith (officiel)" [OGC Nice still lends Justin Smith (official)]. Actufoot (in French). July 11, 2023.
  19. ^ "Justin Smith, nou jugador de l'Espanyol B" [Justin Smith, new player of Espanyol B]. RCD Espanyol (in Catalan). July 23, 2024.
  20. ^ "Justin Smith ficha por el Espanyol B" [Justin Smith signs for Espanyol B]. La Grada (in Spanish). July 23, 2024.
  21. ^ "UD Alzira – Espanyol B: Remontada para lograr la segunda victoria consecutiva (1-2)" [UD Alzira – Espanyol B: Comeback to achieve second consecutive victory (1-2)]. El 1900 (in Spanish). September 22, 2024.
  22. ^ Fanlo, Carlos (October 17, 2024). "Justin Smith, ladrón de guante blanco" [Justin Smith, white-collar thief]. El 1900 (in Spanish).
  23. ^ Sánchez, Josep (November 3, 2024). "Manolo González: «Hay que dar ese paso de madurez como equipo»" [Manolo González: «We need to take that step towards maturity as a team»]. El 1900 (in Spanish).
  24. ^ "Canada Soccer announces men's U-20 national team camp and matches for April". Canadian Soccer Association. April 5, 2022.
  25. ^ "Justin Smith retenu avec les U20 canadiens" [Justin Smith retained with the Canadian U20s]. OGC Nice (in French). June 12, 2022.
  26. ^ Ghalaza-Boudra, Youcef (July 1, 2022). "Nice: Un Aiglon file en prêt en L2 (Off)" [Nice: An Aiglon goes on loan in L2 (Off)]. Foot National (in French).
  27. ^ "Concacaf Nations League Play-In preliminary rosters announced". Concacaf.com. February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Justin Smith at Soccerway
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