SUFFOLK FA have pulled off a coup with England legend Kelly Smith agreeing to attend this year’s KBB Suffolk FA Grassroots Festival.

Smith, England’s all-time leading scorer with 46 goals, is to visit the two-day festival at Whitton United FC on Saturday, May 18th. The festival will continue on the Sunday.

The former striker, who was England’s first professional female footballer, won 117 caps in an illustrious career and played in six major tournaments, including representing Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.

Smith, who won five FA Cups, scoring six times in those five finals, said: “I’m really looking forward to visiting the KBB Suffolk FA Grassroots Festival.

“Grassroots football and tournaments like these are so important to the development of the players and the future prosperity of the game, so I am pleased to be able to attend.”

Suffolk FA Mini Soccer & Youth Football Development Officer James Morley, who is co-organising the festival, said: “We are really pleased to have Kelly Smith attending this year’s KBB Grassroots Festival.

“Our festival will be themed around the FIFA Women’s World Cup which is taking place in France and to have Kelly in attendance provides a great opportunity for all the young girls to meet someone who has played and achieved everything at the highest level.

“This season is tracking to be the biggest festival we have ever organised, with more teams being able to attend than ever before and new festivals including walking football and disability football.

“Having Kelly in attendance as well is going to help us create the biggest and best festival by far. We now can’t until May for the festival to be here.”

Roger Peck, a director of festival sponsors KBB, said: “Kelly Smith’s presence at this year’s festival is testament to the hard work and dedication that has gone into the festival over the years. 

“The fact that the popularity and the exposure that the festival gets is now encouraging big names like Kelly to get involved makes us very proud.”