Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | February 4, 2003 | ||
Place of birth | Paris, France | ||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Espanyol | ||
Number | 40 | ||
Youth career | |||
–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 | 25 | (1) |
2024– | Espanyol | 5 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2022 | Canada U20 | 6 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 27, 2025 ‡ 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 in La Liga. Born in France, he has represented Canada at youth international level.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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 | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||
Espanyol | 2024–2025 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
Career total | 89 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 2 |