The Canadian striker broke the seven-figure barrier when she joined Arsenal from Liverpool last summer and is honoured to be in the same exclusive club as the late Trevor Francis - who was Britain's first £1 million player in the men's game when he signed for Nottingham Forest in 1979.

Smith told Telegraph Sport: "When I first came to the club one of the first things that was mentioned to me was, ‘Do you know Trevor Francis?'

"At first I was like, ‘No... ’ and then they explained to me and I was like, ‘Oh, wow!’

"It’s a massive achievement and I’m very honoured and privileged to have done something like that as a woman."

Smith, 21, admits that the price tag was "overwhelming" at first because of the scrutiny but she ultimately considers it to be a good thing for the women's game.

She said: "At first it was so overwhelming. Especially just being young and having a price tag like that put on you. But for the most part, it’s not necessarily pressure, I think it’s a compliment. The game is going in the right direction, finally we’re getting the money up, which is a good thing for us, and I don’t really pay attention to [the fee] either.

"I think just with the messages [after signing] and everything, it was overwhelming, but when it comes to being on the pitch, that doesn’t really matter to me."

Smith revealed that her decision to join Arsenal was influenced by her desire to work with Gunners boss Renee Slegers.

The forward said: "The biggest thing is she saw how much potential that I had, which is big for me because I believe in that as well. She just believes that I fit into their system. I offer something different, something that they needed.

"What the coach has to offer is a big thing for me and I want to be one of the best in the world and I believe she’s the one that can get me to that level as well as the players here."