Overview
- Now a Wigan Athletic midfielder, the former Arsenal prospect visits his old club in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
- Smith was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s 2020 FA Cup final win and received a winners’ medal without making a senior appearance.
- He left Arsenal in 2023 after loans at Swindon, Charlton and Doncaster and has since established himself at League One Wigan.
- Wigan sold their full 5,000-ticket allocation for the Emirates tie, with Smith expecting his first outing before a 60,000 crowd since leaving Arsenal and his parents in attendance.
- EFL clubs operate 67 academies across 72 teams and have invested over £100 million beyond grants, feeding lower-league squads with elite-trained players and narrowing perceived gaps across divisions.