Darren Smith (footballer, born 1996)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 March 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Cape Town, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Ajax Cape Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2016 | AmaZulu | 3 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Vasco da Gama (loan) | 21 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Santos | 13 | (3) |
| 2017–2019 | SuperSport United | 5 | (1) |
| 2019 | → Ubuntu Cape Town (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2020 | EIF | 22 | (18) |
| 2021 | Honka | 24 | (8) |
| 2022 | AS FAR | 9 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Inter Turku | 53 | (17) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 October 2024 | |||
Darren Smith (born 26 March 1996) is a South African professional soccer player who most recently played for Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku. Smith started in a youth sector of Ajax Cape Town, before joining Kwazulu-Natal club AmaZulu in 2014.
Club career
[edit]South Africa
[edit]Smith started his senior career in his native South Africa with AmaZulu in 2014.[1] During his six professional years in his native country, he played mostly in second tier National First Division, and additionally made a total of six appearances and scored once in first tier South African Premier Division. He represented Vasco da Gama, Santos, SuperSport United and Ubuntu Cape Town between 2015 and 2019. In 2017–18 season while playing with SuperSport United, Smith represented his club at CAF Confederation Cup matches. His contract with SuperSport was terminated in the late 2019.
Ekenäs IF
[edit]In the early 2020, Smith moved abroad for the first time, and after a trial with IFK Mariehamn, he signed a contract with Finnish club Ekenäs IF (EIF), playing in the country's second-tier Ykkönen. In his first season abroad, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith scored 18 goals in 22 matches, making him the top goalscorer in the division. He was named the Ykkönen Player of the Year.[2]
Honka
[edit]On 11 November 2020, FC Honka in Finnish premier division Veikkausliiga announced the signing of Smith for the 2021 season.[3][4] Smith made 24 appearances in the league, scoring eight goals. He also represented Honka in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers in four matches.[1] However, he asked the club not to exercise his option and left Honka after the season.
AS FAR
[edit]In the early 2022, Smith signed with Moroccan club AS FAR Rabat, playing in Botola Pro, the country's premier division, becoming the first South African football player to sign with Moroccan club.[5] In May 2022, Smith won the title of the postponed 2019–20 Moroccan Throne Cup with AS FAR.[6]
Inter Turku
[edit]In November 2022, Smith returned to Finland and signed a two-year deal with Inter Turku in Veikkausliiga, starting in 2023.[7][8][9] During his first season with the club, Smith scored eight goals in 27 league appearances.[10][11] In the 2024 Finnish League Cup, Smith scored five goals in six cup matches as Inter Turku won its second Finnish League Cup title on 30 March 2024, by defeating KuPS on penalties in the final. Smith also scored five goals in six matches in the club's 2024 Finnish Cup campaign, as Inter reached the Finnish Cup final in September, where they eventually fell short to KuPS 2–1.
Personal life
[edit]Smith was born to a Christian family in Cape Town, South Africa. At the age of 16, Smith suffered a tragic loss when his older brother Keenan was killed in a traffic accident, when a bus driver ran red lights and fatally crashed his car.[12]
While living in South Africa, Smith's other sport was track and field, and especially hurdling. He has also studied to become a personal trainer. After his contract termination with SuperSport and before moving to Finland, Smith worked as a model in commercials.[12]
Smith is married and lives with his wife Courteney in Turku. The couple have a child, a daughter named Uriah, who was born in Turku.[12]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 23 October 2024
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Other | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AmaZulu | 2014–15 | South African Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | NFD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Vasco da Gama (loan) | 2014–15 | NFD | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | NFD | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| Total | 21 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| Santos | 2016–17 | NFD | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| SuperSport United | 2017–18 | South African Premiership | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 2018–19 | South African Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Ubuntu Cape Town (loan) | 2018–19 | NFD | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| EIF | 2020 | Ykkönen | 22 | 18 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 27 | 21 | ||
| Honka | 2021 | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 8 | 6 | 2 | — | 4[c] | 0 | 34 | 10 | |
| AS FAR Rabat | 2021–22 | Botola Pro | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Inter Turku | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6[d] | 1 | — | 34 | 9 | |
| 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6[d] | 5 | — | 38 | 19 | ||
| Total | 53 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 28 | ||
| Career total | 160 | 50 | 27 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 206 | 66 | ||
- ^ Includes Nedbank Cup, Moroccan Throne Cup and Suomen Cup
- ^ Appearance(s) in CAF Confederation Cup
- ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ a b Includes Finnish League Cup
Honours
[edit]AS FAR
Inter Turku
- Finnish Cup runner-up: 2024
- Finnish League Cup: 2024[13]
Individual
References
[edit]- ^ a b Striker reveals why he will never come back to play in the PSL, thesouthafrican.com, James Richardson, 10 July 2022
- ^ a b VUODEN PELAAJA DARREN SMITH: ”VOIN KUTSUA TAMMISAARTA TOISEKSI KODIKSENI”, Finnish FA, 4 December 2020
- ^ FC Honka hankki Ykkösen maalikuninkaan – espoolaiset tekivät kesällä tarjouksen, suomifutis.com, 11 November 2020
- ^ South African striker Darren Smith has found a new European team, snl24.com, 11 November 2020
- ^ SA Star Makes History With Latest Move, idiskitimes.co.za, Lorenz Kohler, 31 January 2022
- ^ a b South African striker Darren Smith wins Moroccan Throne Cup with AS FAR Rabat, snl24.com, 16 May 2022
- ^ "DARREN SMITH ON FC INTERIN UUSIN VAHVISTUS". Inter Turku (in Finnish). 24 November 2022.
- ^ Tuominen, Joni (11 July 2023). "Interin ykköskärki sai tynkäkaudesta Marokossa haluamaansa turvaa, mutta pelillisesti kausi oli haastava - "Tärkeä kokemus päästä näkemään Suomea korkeatasoisempi sarja"". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish).
- ^ Darren Smith’s first words on his return to Finland, farpost.co.za, 11 November 2022
- ^ Ahola, Harri (26 May 2023). "Kommentti: Inter löysi ykköskärkensä, vaikka jumalaa kiittävän Darren Smithin asema olikin välillä jo hutera". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish).
- ^ ""Enemmän maalipaikkoja ja olemme vaarallisia" - Interin Darren Smith uskoo tehoja löytyvän lisää". Veikkausliiga (in Finnish). 26 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Darren Smith muutti Etelä-Afrikasta Suomeen – tätä asiaa Suomessa hän ihailee yli kaiken: ”Jokaisessa maassa pitäisi olla”, Ilta-Sanomat, 1 September 2024
- ^ Liigacupin voitto ratkesi rangaistuspotkukisassa: 17-vuotiaasta maalivahdista sankari, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 30 March 2024
External links
[edit]- Darren Smith at Soccerway
- Darren Smith at WorldFootball.net
- Living people
- 1996 births
- South African men's soccer players
- Men's association football forwards
- Veikkausliiga players
- Ekenäs IF players
- FC Honka players
- FC Inter Turku players
- South African expatriate men's soccer players
- Expatriate men's footballers in Finland
- Expatriate men's footballers in Morocco
- AmaZulu F.C. players
- Vasco da Gama (South Africa) players
- Cape Town Spurs F.C. players
- Santos F.C. (South Africa) players
- SuperSport United F.C. players
- Ubuntu Cape Town F.C. players
- AS FAR players
- South African expatriate sportspeople in Finland
- Botola players
- Ykkönen players
- South African Premier Division players
- National First Division players
- South African expatriate sportspeople in Morocco
- 21st-century South African sportsmen