Insiders have confirmed Smith has had initial discussions with the club and if the deal is completed, it's expected Olympic will announce further details next week.

Smith is currently a technical advisor to the national team, a role that includes video analysis. He is considered one of the best in his field.

The English-born coach has enjoyed success at club level in Malaysia earlier in his career, however his spell at Perth Glory didn't yield great success in the 18 months at ME Bank stadium.

After taking over from interim coach Alan Vest, Smith took on the role in mid 2006 till his axing in late 2007. The club didn't reach the finals during this time.

Olympic has begun its pre-season training under new coach Pat Marando ahead of the 2010 season.