John Smits (born September 7, 1988) is a Canadian soccer player and coach.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Smits | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-09-07) September 7, 1988 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Serbian White Eagles | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2011 | Toronto Varsity Blues | 28 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2015 | FC Edmonton | 38 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Montreal Impact (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 18 | (0) |
| 2022 | Unionville Milliken SC | 1 | (0) |
| 2022– | Serbian White Eagles | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2017– | Toronto Varsity Blues (goalkeeping coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 1, 2022 | |||
After playing for the University of Toronto from 2009 through 2011, Smits signed with FC Edmonton of the NASL in 2012.[1] Smits made his professional debut against the Atlanta Silverbacks in May 2012, posting a shutout.[2] In the 2014 NASL season, Smits took over the starting goalkeeper role with FC Edmonton. Smits won the 2014 NASL Golden Glove award for lowest goals against average that season.[3]
In 2015, Smits was loaned to the Montreal Impact during the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League final, although he did not suit up.[4] Smits was released by the club on October 28, 2015 [5]
Smits signed with Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL on February 25, 2016[6] He made his club debut in Wilmington's 2016 season opener in a 2-1 win against Orlando City B on March 26, 2016.[7] Smits would only spend one season in Wilmington, as the club announced that they would not participate in the 2017 USL season.[8][9]
In April 2022, he played a single game against FC London[10] for Unionville Milliken SC in League1 Ontario.[11] In May 2022, he made a lone appearance for Canadian Soccer League side Serbian White Eagles FC but broke his foot in the match and had to be substituted.[12]
In July 2017, Smits returned to his college team, the Toronto Varsity Blues, as goalkeeper coach.[13]
Statistics accurate as of May 1, 2022[14]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | Playoffs | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Edmonton | NASL | 2012 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| NASL | 2013 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| NASL | 2014 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| NASL | 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Montreal Impact (loan) | MLS | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Wilmington Hammerheads | USL | 2016 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Unionville Milliken SC | League1 Ontario | 2022[11] | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | ||