Kelly Smith: Arsenal and England legend on growing women's football, making a modern striker and work-life balance

If you think of the trailblazers of English women's football, a few names are instant - one of those is certainly Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith.

The former striker and Sky Sports pundit is now a coach with the Gunners, helping to shape the likes of Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius and, for the new season, Mariona Caldentey.

These days, Arsenal players have access to world-class facilities, coaches and analysis - a somewhat stark contrast to Smith's playing days.

But she has no jealously over the resources now available for her players, and believes she was around at the right time to help spearhead the growth of the game.

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Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports as part of Bioglan's third series of 'In Bioglan Balance', Smith said: "I remember being at the Euro 2022 final with Kaz Carney when England beat Germany, both of us just crying and hugging each other.

"I think it was Denise Lewis who came and gave me a hug and said 'you two are a major part of this of this, helping them get to these levels to perform in front of 90,000 people and paving the way for these players, so it is nice.

"Obviously, I would have loved to have had what these players have now, but there's no jealousy within me because I had my chance.

"I feel like I was born at the right time to help grow and develop the game and now it's just pride seeing the way the players are playing, taking responsibility in driving the game forward and be the brands they are for young boys and girls to look up to.

"It's a whole different ball game now compared to when I hung up my boots in 2016. It's a full-time professional league, the games are a lot faster, the players are a lot more physical, there are a lot more tactical elements. The players have to be fitter, faster, stronger.

"Something I didn't do was learn the business side coming out of the game. Understanding what your agent is doing for you on and off the field.

"I didn't really know what I was going to do after football, so talking to the players about planning and prepping for a life after football is key because it is such a short career."

Smith's switch from punditry to coaching

Smith's partnership with vitamin and supplement company Bioglan encourages people to find balance in all aspects of life, promoting the importance of mental fitness and strength, immunity, and positive self-worth.

With two young children too, Smith has to find one of the hardest balances in being a working parent, and has made the transition from punditry to coaching in the last few years.

Explaining more, Smith added: "I was working for Sky Sports, having retired and wanting to stay involved in the game. For me at that time, coaching was a little bit difficult having two young kids because the commitment you have to give on a daily basis as a coach is so demanding.

"So the next best step for me to stay within football was to do punditry work. For me, that was a perfect fit coming out of the game and then Arsenal came to me... and they wanted me to come back and work with the strikers.

"It was a bit of a surreal moment because even though we kept good ties, I thought I wasn't going to be working for Arsenal anymore so I was delighted to be back with them.

"I'm a big Arsenal fan so to be wearing the badge again, being out on the field with the elite strikers Arsenal have and the top performance coaches, staying in the game and coming full circle, it was brilliant to be back in the fold.

"Life is hectic as a mum with two young kids who are full of energy. I like to schedule time for myself, prioritising sleep, getting to bed early, eating the right food that's good for my body.

"And of course playing football with my kids. My son is a real big Messi and Ronaldo fan so he imitates them in the back garden. I'm also coaching three days a week so that's very busy travelling in and out.

"So I use these vitamins to help me prioritise my work-life balance because I want to be in the best place physically, mentally and holistically for my kids and my job."

What balance is needed for a perfect striker?

And as Smith knows, there is a lot that needs to be balanced to make a perfect striker, whether it's technique and teamwork on the field, or nutrition and training off it.

When asked what makes up her idea of a top striker, Smith replied: "So many things. The way the game is going now, tactical intelligence is crucial, especially as a striker or centre-forward.

"There's so many more elements to the game now - you have to hold the ball up well, you have to drop off and link up. Can you pull wide into the channels? It's just not all about the striker now, it's about all the attacking players and how you combine with them, how you build relationships and how you know your team-mate in terms of what they like, what certain ball they like.

"Athleticism is crucial, defenders are quicker, stronger, smarter, so you have to work in the gym on your strength. I think the technical abilities are a little bit better, because the players are training full-time, working on skills and techniques.

"Mental toughness is certainly a big one. The best players have always had this, but the women's game has improved and there's even more better players now. So the increasing demands of more physical competition, more games played at the top end means that you need to be mentally tough to cope with that.

"Coming back into the game, the technical knowledge, analysis and language is a lot different so I've had to learn and develop and learn from my colleagues, which has been interesting.

"But it's all about the players being full-time professional athletes. Now this is their job. They have the right nutritionists on board, they have the right sleep patterns to get the best out of their ability. They've got the exercise scientists and the best physios to get them in tip-top shape.

"Even menstrual cycle analysis and knowing how you're feeling when you're on your period and tailoring your training programme.

"It's about the elite athlete using all the resources that the clubs have in order to be the best versions of themselves."

Kelly Smith has partnered with supplement brand Bioglan for their third series 'In Bioglan Balance' to show how she finds balance in her busy life. To watch the series, visit @bioglansupplements on Instagram.

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