Egor Smirnov

Egor Smirnov started at Zenit's academy in Saint Petersburg at the age of six, arriving as a central defender before coach Alexey Polikanov switched him to goalkeeper. He was named best goalkeeper at the national championship for his age group and went on to represent Russia's U-18 and U-19 sides before those squads were disbanded during the pandemic.

In April 2019 Smirnov joined Leningradets on an amateur agreement after an invitation from the club's goalkeeper coach, initially featuring for the youth side in the Youth Football League. A training-camp injury in Turkey slowed his early progress, but he made his senior debut on 7 November 2020 in a 1:2 home defeat to Dynamo-2. He became a regular the following season and has stayed with the club through its rise from the Second League to the First League.

Smirnov has since established himself as Leningradets' undisputed number one, a run a club blog described as making him the most loyal goalkeeper in the First League, never having been sent out on loan. Across six years he reached 76 appearances and 29 clean sheets. His honours with the club include winning the Second League, Group 2 in the 2022/23 season and taking bronze the year before. He signed a contract extension on 13 June 2024, keeping him at the club until June 2026.

Not every afternoon has gone his way. In a match against KamAZ, Smirnov was at the centre of a costly error when he failed to hold a shot in slippery conditions, gifting the opponent a goal.