A South London star, a serial goalscorer – and one of English football’s brightest young attacking talents – Lexi Lloyd-Smith has returned home to continue her exciting journey after becoming Crystal Palace Women’s latest signing.
Fresh from a record-breaking campaign that saw her fire home an impressive 11 league goals in 21 games, lift the WSL2 Golden Boot and earn international recognition with England Under-23s, Lloyd-Smith arrives in SE25 ready to make her mark in the top flight after putting pen to paper with the Eagles.
Find out more about Lloyd-Smith's career below, and secure your 2026/27 Palace Women's Season Ticket now, with prices from just £50!
South London born and bred, Lloyd-Smith's football journey has brought her back home.
Hailing from Peckham, the forward took her first steps in the game with Arsenal’s Academy, spending four seasons developing with the Gunners before making the move across London to Chelsea’s WSL Academy setup, where she continued her progression for a further two years.
Having progressed through two of the country's leading youth systems, Lloyd-Smith made her first move into senior football in January 2021, signing for Women's Championship side Charlton Athletic.
Her time in south-east London was brief, however, as a new exciting opportunity soon emerged across the Atlantic...
Lloyd-Smith headed to the United States to represent NCAA Division I side South Alabama Jaguars, embracing the college game while continuing her development.
She made an immediate impression, registering both a goal and an assist on her debut before finishing her spell with three goals in 13 appearances.
The experience offered a different challenge both on and off the pitch, adding another layer to the attacker's development before she returned to England the following summer.
Southampton came calling ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and it was there that Lloyd-Smith continued her development in the senior game.
Her first goals for the Saints came in fitting fashion – against Palace – as she struck twice in a 2-1 away victory over Crystal Palace in September 2022.
Over the next two seasons, the forward became an important figure for Southampton, making 47 appearances across all competitions and scoring five goals.
There were memorable moments along the way. Lloyd-Smith netted Southampton's equaliser against Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round at Leigh Sports Village, while she also found herself lining up against childhood idol Vivianne Miedema in the League Cup.
Following that fixture against Arsenal, the Dutch superstar swapped shirts with Lloyd-Smith before later sharing a photo wearing it on social media – a full-circle moment for a player who had long admired one of the women's game's greatest goalscorers.
Lloyd-Smith joined Bristol City in the summer of 2024 and wasted little time making her mark, scoring on her debut against former club Southampton in a 1-1 draw before enjoying a prolific autumn that saw her hit four goals in October and earn nominations for the Women's Championship Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards.
After just nine Championship appearances in her first season, the forward had already found the net six times, establishing herself among the division’s most exciting young attackers.
Her rise continued in 2025/26, as Lloyd-Smith was named Bristol City’s Young Player of the Year, claimed the WSL2 Golden Boot after a final-day hat-trick against Sheffield United took her league tally to 11 goals, and earned a place in the WSL2 Team of the Year.
Her outstanding performances also earned her a first England Under-23 call-up, underlining her status as one of the country's brightest emerging talents.
Given Lloyd-Smith's goalscoring exploits, it was no surprise that she was rewarded on the international stage.
After earning her first England Under-23 call-up in 2025, she made her debut against Germany before announcing herself with the winning goal against France in March 2026.
Just weeks later, she helped the Young Lionesses lift the 2025/26 Under-23 European Competition title following victory over Sweden.
Now returning to her South London roots with Crystal Palace, Lloyd-Smith arrives as one of English football's brightest young attacking talents, ready for the next chapter of her journey in red and blue!
