Renny Piers Smith (born 3 October 1996) is an English-born Austrian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.[4] He has also represented Austria internationally at under-18 and under-19 level.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Renny Piers Smith[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-10-03) 3 October 1996 (age 25)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Epsom, England | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000–2013 | Chelsea | ||
| 2013–2015 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | Burnley | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | → GAIS (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Vicenza | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Mantova (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Südtirol | 26 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | FC Dordrecht | 62 | (8) |
| 2020–2022 | WSG Tirol | 37 | (3) |
| National team | |||
| 2014 | Austria U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2014 | Austria U19 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:13, 24 July 2022 (UTC) | |||
Smith was born in Epsom, Surrey, and attended the Whitgift School in South Croydon.[5] He started his career in the youth team at Chelsea where he stayed until early 2013, before he made the decision to leave following a difference in opinion over his playing position.[5] He subsequently joined London rivals Arsenal on a two-year scholarship, a move which followed him being on trial at clubs Liverpool and Manchester City.[6] He featured regularly for Arsenal's youth team over various competitions including the UEFA Youth League, but he failed to make the breakthrough to the first team. He failed to earn a professional deal and was released in the summer of 2015 following the end of his scholarship.[7]
In August 2015, he signed for Championship side Burnley on a three-year contract, following a successful trial against Sheffield.[7] He was placed immediately into the Development Squad. In February 2016 he joined Swedish Superettan side GAIS on a season-long loan, following a successful two-week trial.[8] During his time with the club he made ten league appearances, however, he was predominantly used as a substitute or remained on the bench.[9]
In August 2016, he was recalled early from his loan with GAIS and was sold to Italian Serie B side Vicenza for a nominal fee.[10] He made his professional debut for the side in November 2016, replacing Francesco Signori as a substitute in the 1–0 league win over Trapani Calcio.[9] On 31 January 2017, Smith joined Lega Pro side Mantova on loan.[11][12]
On 5 July 2018, Smith joined Dutch side Dordrecht on a three-year deal.[13]
On 15 September 2020, Smith joined Austrian Bundesliga side WSG Tirol on a free transfer.[14]
Despite being born in England, Smith qualifies to represent Austria through his maternal grandfather.[5] His father, Renny Sr., alerted the Austrian Football Association of his eligibility, and in April 2014 he received his first call-up to the under-18 side for a friendly against Denmark, after the Association had scouted him in Arsenal youth team fixtures.[15] He made his debut in the 2–1 win.[15]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Burnley | 2015–16[9] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| GAIS (loan) | 2016[9] | Superettan | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Vicenza | 2016–17[9] | Serie B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Mantova (loan) | 2016–17[9] | Lega Pro | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | |||