Kelly Smith set to reach century of England caps in the Cyprus Cup

The striker Kelly Smith's often interrupted England career will come full circle on Wednesday when she is set to win her 100th cap in the Cyprus Cup's opening group fixture against Italy, the team she faced on her debut three days after her 17th birthday in 1995. The landmark, for a player widely acknowledged as the finest in the history of the English women's game, will arrive after a long succession of serious injuries and battles against depression and a self-confessed drink problem. "I've been in a dark place at times with the injuries and setbacks I've had," said Smith, who in 2009 – a year after being awarded the MBE – admitted to having gone through intensive therapy for off-field traumas sparked by knee, ankle and foot injuries that cost the Boston Breakers' former Arsenal player around three years of her career. "I'll never get those years back," said Smith, "but injuries are part and parcel of football and I'm just thankful that I'm still playing. I never thought I'd win so many caps but it will be a great feeling to get to a hundred and it will be nice if it's the Italy match because that's who I started against." In her debut, a 1-1 draw at Sunderland's former stadium, Roker Park, Smith had Hope Powell, the England coach, behind her in midfield. "I can remember thinking that Kelly had the potential to become a great player," said Powell. "She's one of those players who come along only once or twice in a lifetime. In the men's game you'd think of the likes of Maradona, Messi, players with a unique talent, and that's what Kelly has." Smith will add to her caps in Cyprus but, with the World Cup less than four months away, Powell's priority will be honing her squad rather than fielding her strongest team throughout a tournament at which England, the 2009 winners, will meet Scotland and Canada after their opening group game. "We will try to win the cup again," said Powell, "but this is a key part of our preparation for the World Cup and the most important thing is that every player gets good game time to build up their tournament experience."