Smith, 16, balancing first NI call-up with GCSE exams

As she juggles her GCSE exams with international football, goalkeeper Abbie Smith described her first call-up to the Northern Ireland senior squad as a “big surprise.”

After training with the senior squad last month, the 16-year-old was chosen for the first time.

Given the conflict between upcoming exams and the Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Smith is now officially a member of the panel. However, she acknowledged that she was a little unsure when she received the call-up.

I showed my mother the email I received on Monday when I was in my room and said to her, “I think I just got into the senior squad.” When I saw it, she said to BBC Sport NI, “I was buzzing.”

The teenager claims she will have to continue studying while she is away from camp while NI’s preparations for games against third-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica and unbeaten group leaders Poland at Seaview.

She continued, “I’ve already had two exams and have three over the camp, but I’ll get it sorted and keep revising.”

Following his two-year scholarship offer to Manchester City from Crusaders Strikers in March, the Lisburn native’s rapid rise is further accelerated by the senior call-up.

Even Smith did not anticipate receiving the official call-up because he had aspirations of playing for the senior side, especially after training with the squad in Leicester as they prepared for their trip to Romania last month.

It was a big surprise because I didn’t know I was going with the 19s to their camp over the weekend, but I’m really excited, she said.

“It was a nice experience with a nice intensity when I trained last month. Everyone was so welcoming.

It’s unbelievable that it’s so early in my career and has always been my goal. I just want to experience that atmosphere and experience senior camp.

Smith believes that her City training, which included working with senior goalkeepers like Khiara Keating and Katie Startup, will enable her to quickly adjust to life in the NI squad under Tanya Oxtoby.

She is also looking forward to working with Jackie Burns, a goalkeeper from Northern Ireland, who she has admired.

It’s been really good at Man City to see what the standards are like and where you must travel, she said, noting how intense it is but how much it is supporting my development.

Abbie was born into a family of goalkeepers, with her father Neil Smith playing between the sticks for Glenavon in the Irish Premiership.

In the end, Neil thinks he is his daughter’s worst critic, but he is incredibly proud of what she has accomplished so far.

She has done so well, but she dedicates herself, and she is now reaping the rewards, because “everything has happened so quickly, it has blown up in the last six months.” He claimed that she is “fantastic about football.”

Like his daughter, Neil was skeptical of Abbie’s ability to balance her exams and the senior side.

He is thrilled to be able to support her against Poland now that the practical issues have been resolved, even if she does not make it to Seaview.

After the initial apprehension, the question “What about the GCSEs?” came up. but everything turned out great, he continued, and her school did a great job.

Nothing fazes her; it just means to move up and hopefully that will continue.