Now that Jay DeMerit has seen the spotlight at Vicarage Road, a new player is set to take over the title of England's "Most Unheralded American." His name is Johann Smith, a 19-year old forward with Bolton Wanderers.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut, Smith is the son of Jamaican parents. Considering his father is formerly a nationally renowned sprinter, it is no surprise that he was thrust into a sports mindset. Growing up in a Jamaican community where soccer was the first choice sport, he grew up with a ball at his feet.
Smith quickly moved up the youth ranks with his local club, Oakwood, and was brought into the Olympic Development Program. It was with the ODP team where Smith's European odyssey began.
"My friend Luke Magill played in England for a while," Smith told YA. "He was on the Connecticut ODP team with me and we became good friends."
"He went over to England and played for Arsenal for awhile, but it didn't work out for him there. So, he went to Bolton and did well getting established with the club. He told the club about me."
Bolton were intrigued by the young American and invited him across the Atlantic for a trial.
"I went there on an initial one-week trial and I did pretty well as they extended it to two weeks," said Smith. "I kept showing pretty well and they said 'we want to sign you'."
"I went back home, packed my bags, and through a pretty long process through the government, I got cleared and I went to England."
At the tender age of 18, Smith headed over to Bolton, a small city outside of Manchester. Even though only a teenager, Smith knew going to England was what he wanted to do.
"It was always my dream, especially to play in the Premier League," he admitted. "I just loved it so much. I love the atmosphere of European games."
"If I'm playing soccer all the time and I'm so interested in it, then I should pursue a career. I think Europe was the right decision for me."
"Coming to a different environment is something everyone should do. I am very satisfied with where I am."
Upon arriving in England, Smith joined the Bolton Academy. It took him a while to make an impact; he didn't score for the Reserves until a two-goal performance against Newcastle United in January of this year.
That performance gave Smith the confidence he needed to score an additional three goals in the final nine games of the season and impress the coaching staff.
When the current season commenced, the forward was looked at for an increased role with the club. Smith got a goal against sturdy Dutch preseason opponent AZ Alkmaar.
He made the first team bench in early season games against Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic, but has been unable to register his first league appearance as of yet.
He did, however, get a 34-minute run in their Carling Cup loss at Charlton, his official competitive debut.
"Very, very hard," said Smith, describing the difficulty of getting into the first team.
"There are players in front of me that are just absolute world class. There is El Hadji Diouf, Kevin Davies, Nicolas Anelka just came and Ricardo Vaz Te, the Under-21 from Portugal."
"I'm still trying to sneak in front of a couple guys and show (Bolton manager) Sam Allardyce that I'm ready and he can put me in."
Smith has been getting feedback from the coaching staff and senior players, and it has been all good thus far.
"I think I'll be with the first team a lot more than I was last year," Smith told YA. "I get positive encouragement all the time throughout the first team. The manager and the assistant manager always tell me to keep going and just keep working hard and I'll get my chance."
In September, there was speculation that Smith could be loaned to a lower level English club, so he could get guaranteed first team minutes this fall. He confirms this to be true.
"I am aware of a couple clubs that wanted me on loan," he said. "I know there is some truth to it because my agent told me about it."
The loan speculation has since died down and the teenage forward believes he could make his debut at the Reebok Stadium in the not so distant future.
"I think it will come soon," Smith declared. "I just came back from a trip in Spain with the first team,"
"I think I'm bonding really well and getting accustomed to the first team system. So, I think things are going really well."
Club football is not the only ambition for the promising forward. Smith was recently called in for a camp with the United States Under-20 National Team, along with fellow foreign-based players Michael Bradley and Robbie Rogers of Holland's SC Heerenveen.
"The team looks amazing," he exclaimed at the time. "I'm really glad to be here. I think we should do well through qualifying and hopefully we'll make the (Youth) World Cup."
Smith has developed a solid chemistry with several midfielders on the Under-20 team, guys he's played with in the past.
"The midfielders Dax McCarty, Michael Bradley and Danny Szetela, I feel really comfortable with those players," he asserted. "I think they know what my strengths are, and when I make a run, they know where to give me the ball."
The chemistry was evident in the team's recent 5-1 victory over Haiti's Under-23 National Team. Smith registered an assist on a goal by Bradley. He also scored his first international goal, latching onto a McCarty long ball to beat the goalkeeper to the far corner.
When not making noise on the field, the youth international keeps a low profile. "I read a lot of books," Smith said. "I finished two of Dan Brown's books recently; Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code."
"I like going to the movies and I love playing video games. If I'm not with some of the guys from the team, I'm playing FIFA 2007."
While playing the game, if not playing with Bolton, chances are Smith is playing as someone he holds high regards for: Arsenal's Thierry Henry.
"He has pace, power, skill, and is a great finisher," rated the youngster. "I just try to watch him and learn as much as possible."
If Smith continues to progress, he will have the opportunity to play against Henry in the flesh when Arsenal travel to Reebok Stadium on November 25th. For the time being, though, Smith is waiting for that one chance to make his mark on the Premiership.
"I just want to get on the field and show my manager what I can do." |
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