Smith was raised in the village of Balmedie in Aberdeenshire, where he was a neighbour of fellow footballer Scott Wright, and attended Bridge of Don Academy. He came through Aberdeen'syouth system, and was considered to be one of their brightest prospects. Manager Craig Brown wanted to give Smith his debut at the start of the 2011–12 season; however, Smith was under 16 and Scottish Premier League rules prevented him from playing. He eventually made his debut on 21 April 2012, coming on as a 54th-minute substitute against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Smith's first game of the 2012–13 season came as a substitute at Pittodrie against St Mirren, in which he hit the crossbar with a header. He went on to score his first senior goal with a header in a 1–1 draw at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Smith came on as an early substitute in Aberdeen's win in the League Cup Final over the same opposition but was himself substituted later in the game. In the 2014–15 season, Smith made several substitute appearances and scored in a 2–0 win against St Johnstone, at the time sending the Dons to the top of the table. In July 2016, Smith joined Scottish Championship side Dundee United on loan where he scored five goals in 23 appearances. His loan with United was cut short on 26 January 2017, and on the same day he was loaned to fellow Championship side St Mirren for the remainder of the season. After his loan deal ended, Smith signed a two-year contract to join St Mirren on a permanent transfer on 22 May 2017. He was St Mirren's player of the year in 2018 as they won the Championship title and were promoted. He rejoined Dundee United on a permanent basis in January 2019, for an undisclosed transfer fee. On 3 February 2020, it was announced that Smith had joined League of Ireland Premier Division Champions Dundalk on loan, following a successful trial period. He returned to Dundee United in June 2020, following the shutdown of football caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Style of play
Smith is primarily a forward but can also play in midfield. His Aberdeen manager Craig Brown said that he was, "a strong, gifted striker." and said that he played like Dennis Bergkamp but was built like Joe Harper.
