204: Alan Smith, Leeds United, Merlin’s F.A. Premier League 2000, Millennium Edition Sticker Collection

Emlyn Jones is at the helm for today’s post. A few weeks ago Emlyn’s post on David Hirst highlighted some of football’s funniest injuries and, when I first read it, genuinely made me laugh out loud in a hospital corridor. Today’s subject didn’t feature in that post as his decision to get in the way of a powerful free kick was anything but amusing. Over to Emlyn.

The phrase ‘one of our own’ is a favourite among modern football fans, the explosion in global transfers of the early 90s and increased propensity for agents garnishing signing on fees making genuine local players an increasingly noteworthy rarity; something to be recognised and celebrated.

Alan Smith was born in Rothwell, Yorkshire, and having come through Leeds United’s youth teams marked his senior debut with a goal against Liverpool. The 1998/99 season was a breakthrough one for Smith (and the appalling curtains depicted in his sticker). As a local boy, he was hugely popular with fans, and a title challenge and foray into Europe saw Leeds’ twenty-first century peak, including the first of 19 England caps for Smith. However, Leeds subsequently slid down the table, and with the club in dire financial straits, were relegated in the 2003/04 season.

Despite the team’s struggles Smith’s popularity with the fans remained, and he won Player of the Season two years in a row prior to relegation. Interviewed in a video for the club, Smith confirmed he only wished to play for two sides in his career, Leeds and England; and that the one club for which he would never sign would be Manchester United.

Smith signed for Manchester United in 2004. To be fair to Smith, Leeds publicly stated that they were on the brink of administration, were open to offers, could not afford to pay his wages, and had only received an offer of the money up front from the Red Devils. Smith also waived his cut of the transfer fee. Despite this, a huge portion of Leeds fans turned on him, labelling him a traitor in scenes highly reminiscent of Arsenal’s signing of Sol Campbell two seasons prior.

Although playing predominantly as a striker to date, Alex Ferguson envisaged Smith as the long-term heir to Roy Keane’s holding midfielder role. Although this never ultimately materialised (so far as I’m aware, Smith also never told his international coach to ‘Stick your World Cup up your bollocks’), Smith did transition into a defensive midfield role during a period of injury for Keane in the early part of the 2005/06 season. He steadily improved in the role after a shaky start, but in the dying stages of an FA Cup game against Liverpool, bravely dived in front of a John Arne Riise shot.

The result was sickening; a broken leg and dislocated ankle, resulting in around ten pins holding Smith’s leg together. A number of Leeds fans, and supporters of other clubs, were quoted as feeling that Smith deserved the injury for his transfer two years prior. Hopefully, none had seen the incident at the time, but it’s a timely reminder that every club has its dickhead fans.

The injury would keep Smith out for nine months. He was never quite the same player afterwards, and despite a number of games and nothing short of full effort, eventually moved to Newcastle United, where he was in and out of the side, before moving on to MK Dons and finally Notts County.

Sadly, Smith has described the ongoing effects of his broken leg, as he occasionally struggles to walk even 14 years on. He retired after being released by Notts County at the end of the 2017/18 campaign and plans to coach children in Florida – continuing to give back to the game. Smith credited his focus on having nearly lost football through injury. Players continuing to play down the pyramid and give back to the game after retirement is always great to see, even if some Leeds fans no longer see him as ‘one of their own’.