LAUREN Smith has begun the next chapter in her coaching career after joining Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Smith, originally from Caersws, was unveiled by the White Hart Lane club this week.

Smith will serve as the assistant coach of the London club’s women’s side.

Previously Smith was assistant manager of the Welsh national set-up but followed manager Jayne Ludlow in departing the national side this week.

Having begun her career in mid Wales as a player with the now defunct Newtown Women’s side, Smith progressed into a career in the game.

Her first port of call was Bristol City where she began as under 13s coach in 2010 and worked her way up the age groups to become assistant coach in 2014.

However it her work with Wales which earned Smith recognition.

She was appointed Ludlow’s assistant in 2017 and played a ley role in the Dragons breaking into the top 30 in the world rankings for the first time in their history.

However Wales failed to break its qualification duck and missed out on the European Championships in 2019.

Smith and Ludlow leave Wales in a strong position going forward with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) already beginning its search for a new management team.

Ironically, Wales, England and Scotland national teams are now on the look out for new managers.

During Smith’s time with the Welsh squad several mid Wales players broke into the national set-up.

Alongside her first team duties, she was also Technical Director for the under nine to under 19 youth programmes.

Newtown’s Carrie Jones, formerly of Cardiff City and now an emerging star at Manchester United, and Maria Francis-Jones of Llanidloes, currently at Cardiff City, have both broke into the senior ranks in the past few years having been developed in the Welsh youth camps based in Newport.

For Smith a new challenge and life in London now awaits in the Women’s Super League with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

She will become assistant to head coach Rehanne Skinner.

Tottenham Hotspur currently plays at The Hive Stadium located in Canons Park, on the former site of the Prince Edward Playing Fields in the London Borough of Harrow.

The first team have won 12 trophies, the most recent being the overall FA Women’s Premier League in the 2016–17 season.

Smith joins Wales stars Josie Green, Anna Filby and Esther Morgan at the club.