Where Are They Now? – Ryan Smith

Ryan Smith exploded onto the scene as a talented 16-year-old against Rotherham United in 2003. He was seen by many as a future Arsenal and England regular, but six years later, where Smith was supposed to be coming into his prime, he finds himself across the pond trying to make a career for himself in both football and music. So where did it all go so wrong?

Smith grew up in the epicentre of Arsenal, Islington, North London. Many of his friends has turned to gangs but Ryan found football and joined the Gunners. A small, quick, unpredictable winger with a dangerous left foot, he shone in the Reserves and was handed three games as a 16-year-old in the 2003 Carling Cup run. Featuring in a midfield with a young Spaniard by the name of Cesc Fabregas, a new era of exciting talent appeared to be on the horizon.

He never really managed to take his chances sufficiently, though. A loan spell to Leicester City in 2005 was expected to be the making of Smith but once more, he never took his opportunities and attitude problems threatened to ruin his potential. After both parties agreed to cut their ties, Arsene Wenger moved on the prospect to Derby County after he played in Dennis Bergkamp’s Testimonial.

It was an abrupt end to a once highly rated career in North London. It didn’t work out at Derby either. After just one campaign, he was shipped back to London, signing for Millwall for £150,000. After two years, no goals and a loan with Southampton, he joined the Saints permanently. It was a disappointing 6 months as he suffered relegation and only played 8 times.

After failed trials in Holland and Portugal, Crystal Palace gave Ryan a short-term contract at the start of this season. Again he didn’t take his chances and with impending administration, he was released with just 6 days of the January transfer window left. It was an unfortunate blow in an unlucky career. A failed training spell with League Two Grimsby Town brought a close to his career in England.

He then began to focus on his music career while again trying his luck in Holland with several trials. On the advice of contacts within the music industry, he moved to America and had try outs with several MLS clubs. Eventually he was handed a deal with the Kansas City Wizards and made his debut against D.C. United. A goal, his first league strike in 4 years and an assist saw Ryan win the MLS Daily Player of the Week. It seems he’s finally on track after describing the performance as “one of the best feeling’s he had in his life”.

Currently Smith in impressing all at Kansas City while maintaining his music work. He recently recorded a song with Crystal Palace midfielder Neill Danns called “Summer Flowers” which is due to be released shortly. You can listen and view the video here.

21 thoughts on “Where Are They Now? – Ryan Smith

  • April 20, 2010 at 4:33 pm
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    Wow. Hope his footie skills these days are better than his rapping :-p

    Seriously though, good read, always nice to hear what happened to these guys. I remember reading quite a bit about him on Arsenal.com etc. Seems like a tragic case of probably having the ability but not the mentality to go with it.

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  • April 20, 2010 at 4:55 pm
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    very good passage. THe song has some good lyrics. just hope none of the youths at the club now flop so massively.
    Is the singer mclean the same as the championship player mclean?

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    • April 20, 2010 at 5:59 pm
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      There brothers

  • April 20, 2010 at 5:48 pm
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    Ryan Smith and Arturo Lupoli (and probably the forthcoming “Where Are They Now?” subjects are prime examples that we shouldn’t expect too much from our current youth products. Yes they have the potential, talent, etc. but they are human and the pressure can take its toll and sometimes there will be disappointments.

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  • April 20, 2010 at 6:37 pm
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    good luck to him… The song is shite though!

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  • April 20, 2010 at 6:45 pm
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    “flop so massively” – ffs, credit where credit is due. This guy is obviously a trier and it looks as if, after a lot of knockbacks, and still only 22 his career is on the up again. Fair play Ryan. Long may it continue. I’ll be keeping out for KCC results from now on.
    btw great article.

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  • April 20, 2010 at 6:50 pm
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    Was he as good as the infamous Fran Merida?

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  • April 20, 2010 at 7:10 pm
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    Ryan was a real talent and highly rated by Wenger. The worst thing that ever happened to him was when he did his cruciate just as he was getting into the first team picture. He never managed to come back from it properly and lost his focus. I’m glad after jobbing around that he’s taken the chance and is making a career for himself in the US. A lot of young players could learn from this. Getting turned down by Grimsby would have seen most quit the game, but he took the chance overseas.

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  • April 20, 2010 at 8:39 pm
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    In his early 20′ and being paid over £100k a year to ply his trade for a few hours a week?

    I feel so sorry for the poor lamb.,

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    • April 21, 2010 at 1:46 am
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      Dito

  • April 20, 2010 at 9:13 pm
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    Ryan was the victim of a very bad tackle (where have we heard that before !!) in a reserve game and spent a long time out. He has never looked the same player since & as I understand it is still troubled by the injury to this day.

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  • April 20, 2010 at 11:30 pm
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    Even if he didn’t grow up in the “ghetto” like some people claim, he’s trying to send the right message to children. Make the most of the talent you are given. If I have kids I’ll say exactly the same thing. It’s funny, the same thing happened to me with music and not football. I’m the opposite of him. I don’t do either anymore but I certainly had enough talent to become a professional musician. But so many things held me back in the end, like flunking and droping out of University, my health and what not, and now I’m trying to find my way, just like he is. I think it’s an admirable message that he is trying to convey and I hope he is successful in football and music. He seems to have perspective of what he has lost and what he still has to gain, which is a lot. Good for him!!:D To me he is a success and I think Arsene Wenger would agree:D

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  • April 21, 2010 at 12:26 am
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    Some great and very interesting comments guys. I think Ryan’s story is interesting because right from day one he was fighting for everything and now, he’s well loved in America. It’s taken him a long time but he’s finally making something of himself. He’s taken a few risks and now they’re paying off, you can’t help but praise him and be a little inspired by his story.

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  • April 21, 2010 at 4:54 am
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    I kinda relate.
    I used to be an athlete(100 metre specialist) and was improving my time. I also played football as a forward(was cormfotable in any attacking role) but i began to get chest problems and then got some condition that made it hard 4 me to play contact sports. Im a musician, poet and songwriter plus im publishing my 1st book hopefully before next year. The chest problem as well as the condition made me very unfit. At least im doing ok in music(where im from), concious hip hop, with a blend of neo-soul and jazz something i absolutely love. Who knows, i just might get a kick again before my thirties, hehe.
    Great article YG

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  • April 21, 2010 at 9:25 am
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    kind of irrelevant but a young ryan smith was dating a certain mr.Lansburys sister for a while.

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  • April 21, 2010 at 2:19 pm
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    Off topic, but no preview of today’s re-arranged Youth team game against west ham yet ??

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  • April 21, 2010 at 5:57 pm
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    I have watched him play for Kansas City this year. He is ok. He is a decent addition to the MLS and for a smaller team like Kansas Ciyt. Tricky and entertaining but isnt very exspensive.

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  • April 22, 2010 at 9:22 am
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    he is joined by Indian football star Sunil Chhetri, the 1st indian footballer to ply his trade in MLS.

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  • December 30, 2010 at 6:48 pm
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    haha all this talk of gangs and ghetto’s is ridiculous, i grew up with this guy, none of that is true. i used to play football with and against him at lunchtime and after school. I didnt ever understand why he was at arsenal anyway he never seemed any good and there were definitely ppl i would have said were better at our school.
    Still good luck i guess and nice that someone made it out of the “ghetto” haha.

    P.s. getting paid that much and still having an attitude problem is just plain dumb.

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