Kelly Smith finished third in FIFA Women's World Player of the Year awards.

England forward, Kelly Smith, has been voted the third best female footballer of 2009 at the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

The Brazilian, Marta, won the award for the fourth successive season and both Smith and Marta ply their trade in America in the Women's Professional Soccer League.

Smith joined Boston Breakers from Arsenal earlier this year and helped England finish as runners-up to Germany in the European Championship in the summer.

Smith has twice been voted Nationwide England Women's Player of the Year, in 2007 and 2008, and she finished fifth in the 2006 and 2008 FIFA awards.

"This is a real honour for me," Smith said. "It was tough for me to leave my home country because I'm very proud and passionate to be English. I just wanted to be amongst the best players in the world and that's certainly the case and I'm now pursuing my dream."

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scooped the men's FIFA World Player of the Year award while England captain, John Terry, and fellow England international, Steven Gerrard, were named in the FIFA World XI for 2009. Manchester United duo Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra and Liverpool forward, Fernando Torres, were also named in the side.