17-year-old Arsenal goalkeeper Tom Smith signed professional terms with the club on Thursday, after winning the title with the u18s last season.

Tom Smith signing his Arsenal contract (Photo via Instagram)
Tom Smith signing his Arsenal contract (Photo via Instagram)

On Thursday, Arsenal announced that Tom Smith has signed his first professional contract with the club.

Most recently, Smith spent time on a youth loan with Salisbury FC. He made 10 appearances and kept a few clean sheets, impressing with his temporary club.

Unfortunately, that came to an end thanks to an injury in late September. The Salisbury manager and club reporter were very complimentary of the Arsenal academy goalkeeper despite the injury.

Smith originally earned his loan move with some positive performances in the 2018/19 season. He broke into the u18 team in February, keeping five clean sheets in eight league games to help Arsenal finish top of their division.

The goalkeeper also made his u23 debut this year. Strangely enough, it was a few days before his u18 debut. Smith was on the bench for the u23 North London derby, but after an injury to Dejan Iliev, he played the final 13 minutes.

It’s still early days in Smith’s Arsenal career, especially with all the competition in goal. Congratulations to him on making a positive step forward though!