Leeds United Women's stalwart Olivia Smart has announced her retirement from football upon the completion of the 2025/26 FA WNL Division One North league campaign.

Ahead of Sunday's West Riding FA County Cup final, the Leeds legend has called time on her longstanding playing career at the club, which she has represented since the age of nine.

During her time with the Whites, the defender has racked up plenty of appearances and has frequently led her team out wearing the captain's armband, including helping the side to various silverware, notably the FA Women's National League Plate in 2023.

Sitting down to discuss this decision, Smart said: "I think my body would say it's happy because it's had enough. I think there's a time when football, you have to leave football before it leaves you, so I think physically I wanted to be able to keep up till I could keep up no longer, and that time for me has come but mentally.

"I want to finish it in a Leeds shirt and that's an emotional moment. I'm not sad in any sense because I've played for the club I've supported my whole life. I've captained the team for the club I've supported my whole life, and I've played on the pitch that people would pay a lot of money to play on wearing the shirt that I've wanted to wear. So for me, none of it is sad."

When asked what it means to Smart to have been able to represent her childhood club, she added: "like it's just fulfilled everything that football I ever wanted football to fulfil for me. I've followed Leeds forever since I could remember, so to have been scouted for them when I was young, I knew it was a privilege.

"I never took it for granted. Every single year when they asked me to stay at the club, I was thrilled. And as I got older, I realized how special that was and then now I'm coming to retire, I've completely realised that I've achieved what lots of Leeds fans wished they could dream about achieving. When you put a Leeds fan in a Leeds shirt it's special.

"It's always been about making the people that are close to me like proud, but also like doing the shirt justice. Leeds is a fantastic club. It deserves the support that it gets, the men's and the women's club, and as the women's club grows that's really important that the fans stick with it. I can't explain it to someone who doesn't do it, but it's just special," Smart added on her motivations for playing football.

During her time with the club, the defender has also been heavily involved with the community side of football, including stints appearing at Leeds United Foundation sessions, supporting the excellent services they provide for the local community, and initiatives such as International Women's Day.

"Football's just a way of people connecting, especially from the community. You don't need to have the ability to play football to love it, and equally, you don't have to have the understanding of football to be able to play it. So I think that's really important that we give back as a club because people in Leeds love it.

"The smallest things that the club can do within the community for anybody is a way of us giving that back to them because they show up. Leeds fans are like one big family and they're all loyal, so if you can give anything back and I think the club does that really well and I think staying in and around that would be important."

When asked if she had a final message for those who have contributed to her career, Smart said: "Every single manager I've ever had has given me something for the club each year and the girls need to keep pushing women's football forward. The teams that I've played in have been excellent and some memories that I'll keep forever and some friends that I've made that will forever be my friends.

"I don’t think there’s a manager or player I’ve played with that hasn’t taught me something. I’ve been part of a Leeds United family for 23 years and for that as a Leeds fan, I’m truly grateful for. I’ve made some of my best friends through this time, so thank you I can’t put in to words how much it’s meant to me."

Everyone at Leeds United would like to extend a huge thanks to Olivia for her contributions to the club and community over her time here, and wish her the best of luck for whatever the future may hold for her.