.jpg) Smith training forMilton Keynes Dons in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Smith[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-10-28)28 October 1980 (age 45)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Rothwell, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1998 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2004 | Leeds United | 172 | (38) |
| 2004–2007 | Manchester United | 61 | (7) |
| 2007–2012 | Newcastle United | 84 | (0) |
| 2012 | →Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2012–2014 | Milton Keynes Dons | 51 | (1) |
| 2014–2018 | Notts County | 87 | (0) |
| Total | 471 | (47) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2001 | England U21 | 10 | (3) |
| 2007 | England B | 1 | (1) |
| 2001–2007 | England | 19 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017 | Notts County (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:57, 19 March 2018 (UTC) | |||
Alan Smith (born 28 October 1980) is an English football coach and former professionalfootballer. Smith first came to prominence as both astriker and aright winger, but later became aholding midfielder.
Smith began his career with hometown clubLeeds United and became a mainstay in theirPremier League teams between 1998 and 2004. Initially playing as a striker during hisElland Road days he scored 38 goals in 172 games. Following the club's relegation in 2004, he joined rivalsManchester United, but after moving to the club he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle in a match againstLiverpool, whereupon managerSir Alex Ferguson converted him to aholding midfielder, a role in which he continued after his transfer toNewcastle United. He later moved toMilton Keynes Dons for several seasons before signing forNotts County. He had a short spell as caretaker manager of County in 2017, but later reverted to the role of player-coach after the appointment ofKevin Nolan as manager.
He has also represented theEngland national team, winning 19caps. Smith was known for his aggressive mentality on the pitch and his high-pressing style of football and earned a reputation as a hard-tackling player and is noted for his high work rate.
Smith was born and brought up inRothwell, West Yorkshire, where he attendedRodillian School.[citation needed] In 1995, he attended theFootball Association School of Excellence along with fifteen other students atLilleshall Hall inShropshire, where he was one of the subjects of a 1999ITV documentaryThe World At Their Feet, which followed the futures of the academy's 1995 intake. During his time at Lilleshall, Smith attendedIdsall School inShifnal.[3]
Smith started his career with Leeds and scored in his first-team debut againstLiverpool, aged 18. He went on to become an undisputed first-choice, as the side consolidated ondomestic andEuropean fronts, reaching the semi-finals of the2000–01 Champions League. Smith was part of an offensive line that includedMichael Bridges and AustralianMark Viduka.
His senior FA Premier League debut was as a substitute for Leeds United against Liverpool atAnfield, where he displayed his natural scoring ability by scoring with his first shot of the game, three minutes after coming off the bench.[4] That goal helped propel him into the 1998–99 English football season, as he was one-half of managerDavid O'Leary's first-choice striker pairing, along withJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Smith continued his run in the Leeds side, as the club began to grow in stature. He showed his class in 2001 while helping to lead the Leeds side through the Champions League, though his experience ended on a sour note as he was sent off in the semi-final. The following season saw Smith switched to the right of midfield, his versatility being utilised by O'Leary, as the Leeds United manager tried to accommodate new signings. 2001 also saw Smith's break into the England national football team squad. An England youth international at multiple levels, Smith made his senior England debut in May 2001. He did not make the final cut for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and accepted a position with the England Under-21 side. He scored four goals in a UEFA Cup tie atHapoel Tel Aviv in November 2002.[5] He signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Leeds in February 2003.[6]
As Leeds were relegated at the end of the2003–04 season, Smith joined Manchester United for £7 million.[7] Although this move caused controversy amongst Leeds fans, it has since been revealed byPeter Lorimer that the only club Leeds would allow Smith to join was Manchester United, and that Leeds had in fact engineered the move. With Manchester United being the only club offering the requested money up-front, instead of on an instalment basis (as offered byEverton andNewcastle United), and with Leeds facing administration, Smith faced allowing Leeds to go into administration or joining Leeds'bitter rivals[8] - despite Smith earlier going on record that he would never play for Manchester United.[9]
Smith's Manchester United career began on 8 August 2004, in theCommunity Shield clash againstArsenal, scoring for the club with a swerving volley in the 55th minute, as United lost 3–1. He scored his first league goal againstNorwich City, scoring the winning goal with a "stunning volley" in the 49th minute, having earlier setting up a goal forDavid Bellion.[10]
An injury hampered hisfirst season, causing him to miss out on important matches such as theLeague Cup semi-final againstChelsea and the2005 FA Cup final against Arsenal at theMillennium Stadium, which Manchester United lost onpenalties. The forward scored 10 goals overall in his first season, but, withWayne Rooney in good form andRuud van Nistelrooy back in the team after injury, was relegated to the bench.
In the summer of 2005, it emerged that Manchester United managerSir Alex Ferguson was grooming Smith as a successor toRoy Keane in the Manchester United midfield. Ferguson stated: "Roy sees characteristics in Alan that he saw in himself as a young player, which could help Alan develop into a very good player in that position."[11] Smith got his chance to prove his credentials as a replacement for Keane when the Manchester Unitedcaptain was injured early in the2005–06 season. Smith began a prolonged run in the midfield 'anchor' role, with little effectiveness. The criticism aimed at Smith and his teammates reached its peak with United's 4–1 defeat away toMiddlesbrough and the subsequent 1–0 defeat toLille in the Champions League.[12] Smith was believed to be one of several Manchester United stars who were heavily criticised by Keane, in anMUTV interview that was thought too explosive to be aired and consigned to thecutting room floor by club officials.[13][14] It seemed that Smith's performance in the crucial home match against league leaders Chelsea would be meticulously scrutinised in the light of Keane's damning words. Smith responded in determined fashion, his performance in the 1–0 win resulting inThe Guardian naming him as theman of the match.[15]
He scored only one goal in 33 appearances in 2005–06, in a 3–1 away win overCharlton Athletic.[16] On 18 February 2006, during a 1–0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in theFA Cup, Smith broke his leg and dislocated hisankle while attempting to block afree kick from Liverpool'sJohn Arne Riise, an injury described by Ferguson as "one of the worst I've seen".[17] Reports later confirmed by a spokesman for the Merseyside ambulance trust claimed Liverpool fans attacked Smith's ambulance as it left Anfield.[18] Smith has since refuted these claims,[19] though he had been given a general anaesthetic before he left the stadium so was not aware of the attack on the ambulance. He had an operation the next day, after which it was estimated that he would be out of the game for around nine months.[20] A week later, Manchester United beatWigan Athletic 4–0 in theLeague Cup final. After the match, Manchester United's players paid tribute to Smith by collecting the trophy in T-shirts printed with the words "For you Smudge" (Smith's nickname).[21]
Ahead of the2006–07 season, Ferguson sold Van Nistelrooy toReal Madrid and said he intended to replace him by returning Smith to his natural centre-forward position: "We are going to convert Alan Smith back into being a forward. He will be back in training soon and should be available by the end of August or the beginning of September."[22] After three appearances for the reserves in August 2006,[23][24][25] Smith returned to the Manchester United first team in September 2006, first as an unused substitute in the 3–2 home win overCeltic in theChampions League on 13 September,[26] before taking the field for the last five minutes of the 1–0 away win overBenfica two weeks later.[27]
Smith made his first start for eight months in Manchester United's 2–1 away win overCrewe Alexandra in the fourth round of the League Cup.[28] However, he was still not fully match-fit and made only one substitute appearance in the next four months. As he continued his training, bothCardiff City and former club Leeds United expressed an interest in signing Smith on loan, but he said he intended to fight for his place in the Manchester United team.[29]
Smith returned to action again in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie againstLille on 7 March 2007, coming on for goalscorerHenrik Larsson in the 75th minute of the 1–0 win.[30] He made his first start at Old Trafford since his injury on 14 March in afriendly against aEurope XI to commemorate 50 years since the signing of theTreaty of Rome. His first competitive start at Old Trafford, however, came on 19 March 2007 in an FA Cup quarter-final replay win over Middlesbrough.[31]
After a succession of games in which he was either a substitute or substituted himself, Smith played the full 90 minutes of Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final second leg at home toRoma on 10 April 2007 as Manchester United won 7–1; he scored Manchester United's second goal in the 17th minute, his first goal since November 2005.[32] He was then named in the starting line-up againstManchester City on 5 May 2007; United won the game 1–0[33] and were crowned league champions a day later, when Chelsea were held to a 1–1 draw at theEmirates Stadium against Arsenal.[34]
Despite falling one game short of the 10 appearances needed to qualify for a Premier League winner's medal, the league granted special dispensation for Smith to receive a medal on the last day of the season.[35] He made his last competitive appearance for Manchester United a week later in the2007 FA Cup final against Chelsea, the first final played at the newWembley Stadium, coming on forDarren Fletcher in the second minute of extra time.[36]
Smith appeared in all four games of Manchester United's pre-season tour of the Far East, but on 2 August 2007, Newcastle United confirmed they had reached an agreement to sign Smith for around £6 million. The deal was confirmed on 3 August, with Smith moving to Newcastle on a five-year contract.[37] He scored the winning goal on his debut for the Magpies, in a 1–0 friendly victory againstSampdoria. However, the striker struggled to establish himself at Newcastle in his first season, failing to score a league goal.
His progress the following season was hampered by stress fracture of the ankle sustained in the pre-season, meaning it took until February 2009 before he played in a competitive fixture by coming on as a substitute againstEverton. Despite the comeback, Smith was relegated for the second time in his career as Newcastle lost by a single goal to Aston Villa.[38] Again, he finished the season without a goal.
In the summer of 2009, Smith played against his former club Leeds United in a pre season friendly at St James Park, the match was the first time he had played against Leeds since leaving the club for bitter rivals Manchester United,[39] his every touch was booed throughout the game by Leeds fans and he was heavily booed when he was substituted.[citation needed] Smith was made vice-captain for the 2009–10 season, but captained the team in almost every game due toChris Hughton's preference of Smith to first choice captainNicky Butt. Smith has been a regular feature, but in a much deeper role acting as a central defensive midfielder.[40]
Despite playing regularly as a deep lying midfielder, he lost his place after the January transfer window with the arrival ofWayne Routledge andDanny Guthrie's excellent form in central midfield. To allow two strikers up front in the form ofPeter Løvenkrands andAndy Carroll for more games, Smith was dropped to accommodate. Newcastle won promotion to thePremier League.
Smith started Newcastle's first four Premier League games due to the injury ofDanny Guthrie, Smith partneredJoey Barton for the 3–0 loss to former clubManchester United, the 6–0 victory overAston Villa, the 1–1 draw withWolverhampton Wanderers and the 2–0 loss toBlackpool. He lost his place to new signingCheick Tioté and the arrival ofHatem Ben Arfa. Smith was given time in theFootball League Cup, whereChris Hughton gave young players and fringe players such as himself,Ryan Taylor andPeter Løvenkrands a chance.
With Tioté cementing his place as the in-form defensive midfielder, Smith served a lot of bench duty, although he saw a return to action in Newcastle's 3–1 cup defeat to Stevenage on 8 January 2011.[41] With Tioté suspended for three games following his sending-off in the same game, Smith started in Newcastle's 1–1 derby draw withSunderland, but came off after half an hour with an injured ankle, which was later confirmed to rule him out for the rest of the season.[42]
After returning to full training in April 2011, it was reported by assistant managerJohn Carver that Smith would be in contention to start Newcastle's penultimate fixture to Chelsea with the club likely to restCheick Tioté to save him from a three-match ban.[43]
On 7 June 2011, Smith was notified by the Newcastle management that his services would no longer be required, and he was free to leave the club.
On 8 June 2011, Leeds United chairmanKen Bates revealed that he was not ruling out a move to acquire Smith subject to his wage demands and fitness.[44] After being made available for transfer, Smith was linked with a move to his former club Leeds United with Leeds managerSimon Grayson confirming his interest in the player.[45]
Smith was released by Newcastle United on 1 June 2012.[46]
On 29 January 2012, Smith joinedMilton Keynes Dons on loan until the end of the season.[47] His first appearance was as a 50th-minutesubstitute forAdam Chicksen on 31 January 2012 in aLeague One game againstSheffield Wednesday. The game ended as a 1–1 draw.[48] He made his first start for the club on 4 February 2012, playing 66 minutes of the 1–1 draw againstHuddersfield Town, before being replaced byJabo Ibehre.[49] On 23 February 2012, Smith completed his first full 90 minutes for the Dons in the 2–1 win againstBury. The winning goal of the game came as a result of a penalty which Smith won just before half-time, after he was fouled by Bury goalkeeperCameron Belford beforeDean Bowditch duly converted the spot-kick.[50] On 21 April, he scored his first goal in five years, in a 1–0 win againstSheffield United.[51] On 15 May 2012 he came on as a substitute for MK Dons in the League One play-off semi-final against Huddersfield Town scoring with a diving header in injury time.
On 31 May 2012, it was reported that MK Dons managerKarl Robinson had opened talks with Smith's representatives over a permanent move to the club.[citation needed] Smith made 18 appearances after joining the club from Newcastle United in late January, scoring two goals in the process. The move was completed on 10 July, with Smith signing a two-year contract.[52] Smith has taken control of MK Dons XI sides in the Berks & Bucks Cup, alongside former coachIan Wright, as well as featuring in the unfamiliar position of centre back for a game. On 16 May 2014 Smith was released from the club along with three other players.
Smith signed forNotts County on a one-year contract in 2014 as a player-coach.[53] He signed a new one-year deal in May 2015.[54] He had a short spell as caretaker manager of Notts County in 2017,[55] but later reverted to the role of player-coach after the appointment ofKevin Nolan as manager.[56]
He was released by Notts County at the end of the 2017–18 season.[57]
An England youth international at multiple levels, Smith was called into theEngland squad for the friendly againstItaly in November 2000, but later withdrew in order to rest.[58] He eventually earned his firstcap in May 2001 in a friendly againstMexico, but did not make the final cut for the2002 FIFA World Cup, and continued representing theunder-21s. Smith scored on his full debut againstPortugal in September 2002, being set up by Leeds teammateLee Bowyer. In aEuro 2004 qualifier againstMacedonia in October 2002, he received his first international red card from a second yellow card after a tackle onAleksandar Vasoski.[59]
In August 2005, Smith drew some criticism after withdrawing from the England squad to playDenmark (a game England lost 4–1) in order to play for the Manchester United reserves.[60] After a prolonged absence from international football, Smith was called up for anEngland B match on 26 May 2007, against Albania. He scored the first goal of the game which ended in a 3–1 win.[61] The next day he was named in the senior team to faceBrazil, on 1 June 2007.[62]
As of December 2020, Smith lives in theOrlando, Florida area working with male and female youngsters as a coach at the XL Soccer World Academy.[63]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Leeds United | 1998–99 | Premier League | 22 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 9 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 26 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[a] | 1 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16[b] | 7 | — | 52 | 18 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[a] | 1 | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 33 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[a] | 5 | — | 43 | 9 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 35 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 9 | |||
| Total | 172 | 38 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 14 | — | 228 | 56 | |||
| Manchester United | 2004–05 | Premier League | 31 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5[b] | 2 | 1[c] | 1 | 42 | 10 |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8[b] | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 61 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 93 | 12 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 94 | 0 | ||||
| Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 2011–12 | League One | 16 | 1 | — | — | –– | 2[d] | 1 | 18 | 2 | |||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2012–13 | League One | 27 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[e] | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | League One | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Total | 67 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 83 | 3 | |||
| Notts County | 2014–15 | League One | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | League Two | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | League Two | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[e] | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | League Two | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 1 | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 87 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | 107 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 471 | 47 | 43 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 52 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 605 | 72 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England[66] | 2001 | 3 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 19 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2002 | Villa Park,Birmingham, England | 4 |  Portugal | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Notts County (caretaker)[68] |  | 3 January 2017 | 12 January 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 000.00 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 000.00 | |||
Leeds United
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Individual
