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Ross Smith (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ross Smith is a Canadian
soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers U23's
in the USL Premier Development League
.
in Milton, Ontario
, and played college soccer
at the University of Rhode Island
. He was named to the Verizon Academic all-District One team, earned third-team All-New England honors, and was also a first-team all-Atlantic 10 performer as a junior in 2001.
. Smith signed for Kent
based Margate
, playing a season there before being spotted and moving on to Gravesend & Northfleet playing in the English Conference National
.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, Smith was out of contract and was considering a new contract offer from Ebbsfleet United and also interest from Stevenage Borough
, when he had an offer to join Dagenham & Redbridge
in League Two
, who he eventually signed for in the summer of 2007.
Smith signed with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division
on June 18, 2008. He was reported not be eligible to play with the club until July 15, but was cleared by the authorities for his USL debut July 5, 2008, against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
On February 27, 2009, it was revealed that Smith's doctors detected a faulty heart valve which caused him to suffer an enlarging of his aorta
, and as a result would require heart surgery, and would likely miss the entire 2009 USL1 season.
Smith signed for the Colorado Rapids
of the MLS
in January 2009, however the contract was terminated once doctors detected a problem with his heart, and he was forced to retire. Smith re-signed for Ebbsfleet United (previously known as Gravesend & Northfleet) in November 2009, after having surgery and being told by doctors it was safe to play again. In December, he said he was planning to leave Ebbsfleet to return back to the United States.
On February 15, 2010, Smith signed with Portland Timbers
. Following the season, and with the Timbers move to Major League Soccer, Smith ended his playing career, and on March 10, 2011 he was named as a radio analyst for Timbers home matches.
-born giving him dual British
and Canadian citizenship.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers U23's
Portland Timbers U23's
Portland Timbers U23's is an American soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Although founded in 2008 as part of the development system for the Portland Timbers USSF D2 organization, beginning in 2011 they are part of the development system for the Major League Soccer franchise of...
in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
.
Youth and college
Smith attended E.C. Drury High SchoolE.C. Drury High School
The Ernest C. Drury High School is a provincial school in Milton, Ontario for students in grades 9-12.The same campus also houses the E. C. Drury School for the Deaf, a secondary school with residential and day programs for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students...
in Milton, Ontario
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, and played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. He was named to the Verizon Academic all-District One team, earned third-team All-New England honors, and was also a first-team all-Atlantic 10 performer as a junior in 2001.
Professional
Smith moved across to the UK where he played with MontroseMontrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
. Smith signed for Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
based Margate
Margate F.C.
Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....
, playing a season there before being spotted and moving on to Gravesend & Northfleet playing in the English Conference National
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...
.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, Smith was out of contract and was considering a new contract offer from Ebbsfleet United and also interest from Stevenage Borough
Stevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
, when he had an offer to join Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
in League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, who he eventually signed for in the summer of 2007.
Smith signed with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
on June 18, 2008. He was reported not be eligible to play with the club until July 15, but was cleared by the authorities for his USL debut July 5, 2008, against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
On February 27, 2009, it was revealed that Smith's doctors detected a faulty heart valve which caused him to suffer an enlarging of his aorta
Aorta
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
, and as a result would require heart surgery, and would likely miss the entire 2009 USL1 season.
Smith signed for the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
of the MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in January 2009, however the contract was terminated once doctors detected a problem with his heart, and he was forced to retire. Smith re-signed for Ebbsfleet United (previously known as Gravesend & Northfleet) in November 2009, after having surgery and being told by doctors it was safe to play again. In December, he said he was planning to leave Ebbsfleet to return back to the United States.
On February 15, 2010, Smith signed with Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (USL)
Portland Timbers was an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team played in various leagues at the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, including the USL First Division and the USSF Division 2 Professional League, until the end of...
. Following the season, and with the Timbers move to Major League Soccer, Smith ended his playing career, and on March 10, 2011 he was named as a radio analyst for Timbers home matches.
Personal
Although born in Canada, both Smith's parents are ScottishScotland
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...
-born giving him dual British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Canadian citizenship.