Tom Smith: Colchester United keeper in team despite upcoming exams
- Published
Tom Smith had loan spells at Dover, Welling and Bromley before joining Colchester
Colchester goalkeeper Tom Smith is set to play his first league game of the season, just days before sitting exams for an economics degree.
The 21-year-old will be needed at Forest Green because Owen Goodman is on duty with the England Under-20 squad.
Smith made six appearances last term during a loan spell from Arsenal.
"I'm part of the card school on away coach trips so I don't study then, but I take my books with me for when we get to the hotel," he told BBC Essex.
Smith, who moved to Colchester on a permanent basis over the summer, has been studying at the London School of Economics for the past three years.
He said: "Doing the degree was something Arsenal really supported me with and my parents were really keen for me to continue with my studies so I have something after football.
"Colchester have also supported me and realise how important it is for me to study and get the qualification.
"I've enjoyed doing the course but the next couple of years will be just solely concentrating on football and seeing how far that can take me."
Smith is having to bide his time at Colchester, with Goodman having been brought in for the season on loan from Crystal Palace.
There was an appearance for Smith in a 5-0 EFL Trophy defeat by Tottenham Under-21s, and boss Ben Garner has confirmed he will be in the side for Saturday's match at Forest Green.
"Hopefully now it's a bit of an opportunity for me and if I play well, I can start putting some questions into the gaffer's head," he said.
"I had it similar last year with Kieran O'Hara where I came in for eight or nine games, didn't play, then there was an injury and the last six games I did play."
O'Hara has since left Colchester and signed for Kilmarnock, with Smith remaining eager to impress whenever chances come along.
"It's probably going to happen to me another 10 times in my career so I've just got to try and be ready at all times and train hard," he said.
He continued: "It's not ideal, not playing... but I feel it was the right decision still [to come here].
"Being around senior football at a good level is so much better than an academy, it means something, training's a lot more intense and you're striving for something as a group."