skip navigation

Detroit City brings aboard forward Darren Smith

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 01/29/25, 12:09PM EST

Share

South African arrives after helping FC Inter Turku to Finnish League Cup title, recording 28 goals in 72 appearances over two seasons


Detroit City FC has signed forward Darren Smith, who recorded 28 goals in 72 appearances for Finnish top-flight club FC Turku over the past two seasons.

DETROIT – Detroit City FC announced on Wednesday the club had signed forward Darren Smith to a two-year guaranteed contract to join the club ahead of the 2025 USL Championship. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Smith joins Le Rouge having spent the past two seasons in Finland with Veikkausliiga side FC Inter Turku where he recorded 28 goals in 72 appearances across all competitions. The 28-year-old played an integral part in Turku’s run in the 2024 Finnish League Cup, scoring five goals in six cup matches, including converting a penalty in the final minutes of normal time and covering in penalties against KuPS, helping Turku lift their second Finnish League Cup.

A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Smith also recorded five goals in six cup matches in the 2024 Finnish Cup campaign, in which the club reached the final to face KuPS once again only to fall in extra time.

Prior to joining Turku, Smith spent a season in the Moroccan top-flight with AS FAR Rabat, becoming the first South African football player to sign with a Moroccan club. Smith made only nine appearances with the club, scoring one goal and helping the club win the COVID-19-postponed 2019–20 Moroccan Throne Cup.

Smith’s first stint in Finland saw him spend the 2020 season with Finish third-tier side Ekenäs IF, where he earned the Ykkönen Player of the Year and Golden Boot award, scoring 21 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.

The following year he joined top-flight side FC Honka, where he recorded 10 goals and five assists in 34 appearances across all competitions and competed for the side in the UEFA Conference League.

Follow the USL Championship

Most Recent News

Most Read News

Latest Videos