Chris "Junior" Smith is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 footballer who plays as a defender

Defender (association football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

, currently playing for First Division

Scottish Football League First Division

The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....

 side Ayr United

Ayr United F.C.

Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...

.

Smith started his career in the youth teams of Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle F.C.

Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...

 and Rangers

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 before making his first senior appearances in the Scottish Football League

Scottish Football League

The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...

 with Greenock Morton

Greenock Morton F.C.

Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....

.

Rangers

Smith began his footballing career as a youth at Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle F.C.

Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...

 as a YTS

Youth Training Scheme

The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...

, before moving on to SPL

Scottish Premier League

The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

 side Rangers

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

. Chris was released by Rangers under 19s

Rangers F.C. Reserve and Youth squads

In addition to the first team, Rangers F.C. also have a reserve team and an under-19 side.On 20 April 2004, Rangers Football Club announced the creation of a new company which would oversee the development of the club's youth players. The company, called Rangers Youth Development Limited, is...

 at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Morton

Smith went on trial at Greenock Morton

Greenock Morton F.C.

Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....

 and played in several trial matches, before he was eventually signed on 5 September 2008.

Smith made his league debut against QOS

Queen of the South F.C.

Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...

 on 13 September 2008, at Palmerston Park

Palmerston Park

Palmerston Park is a multi-purpose stadium on Terregles Street in Dumfries, south west Scotland. The site of the ground was formerly a farm called Palmers Toun. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith in Dumfries. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of...

, Dumfries

Dumfries

Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...

, and his full debut the week previously in the ALBA Challenge Cup quarter-final against the same opposition. In his first four league games, he played as the left-back in a back four, alongside Ryan Harding

Ryan Harding

Ryan Harding is a Scottish semi-professional footballer who plays for Alloa Athletic as a defender.Over the course of his career he played for Livingston, Greenock Morton and East Stirlingshire before leaving for Malta....

, Dominic Shimmin

Dominic Shimmin

Dominic Libreville Shimmin is an English footballer, who is currently playing for Dover Athletic in the Blue Square Bet South.In his career he has also played for Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers, Bournemouth and Crawley Town...

 and Alex Walker

Alex Walker

Alexander Walker is a Scottish professional footballer currently without a club.He plays mainly as a defender, although he can also play in midfield....

.

At the beginning of 2009, Smith was given a contract extension until the end the season. This was despite his howler against Airdrie United

Airdrie United F.C.

Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...

 a few days earlier, which saw him axed from the first team squad against Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle F.C.

Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...

 on 30 December. Smith was released in May 2009, after being dropped for the last month of the season. After his release from Cappielow

Cappielow

Cappielow is a district of Greenock in Inverclyde, west central Scotland. It is home to Scottish First Division side Greenock Morton F.C. The name Cappielow, taken alone, usually refers to the Cappielow Park stadium, but it can also refer to a small area of housing or the adjoining industrial...

, Smith went on trial at Blue Square Premier

Conference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

 favourites Wrexham.