Alan Smith Bio Send To Friend  

Smith's is a tale of diminishing returns after seemingly boundless promise and his move to Newcastle was the latest in a series of setbacks in a career that has gone backwards since his salad days as a teenage Leeds United player.

A woeful first season for Newcastle that saw him score not a single goal has led to his £6m purchase in the summer of 2007 by Manchester United being described as the worst of the entire 2007/8 season.

His career has perhaps never recovered from an injury which Sir Alex Ferguson described as being one of the worst he'd ever seen, a broken leg sustained while playing for Manchester United at Anfield.

Smith did return to play a role in United's title-winning campaign of 2006/7, with his best display, his first as a striker for 18 months coming in United's 7-1 romp over Roma.

Sadly for Smith, it would also be his last goal for the Red Devils.

Smith had moved to Old Trafford in 2004 but never got the opportunities as a striker he would have liked. His willingness to play in midfield meant he further dropped down the pecking order to play in a position for which he had once shown so much promise.

The young Smith joined Leeds at 10 and was awarded his first professional contract with Leeds in March 1998.

He scored with his first touch in senior football as Leeds beat Liverpool in November 1998 and was a leading light of a team that reached the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and Champions League in consecutive years of 2000 and 2001. .

Smith made his England debut against Mexico at Pride Park in May 2001.

As Leeds ailed amid growing financial crisis, Smith remained a shining light in a dismal team though relegation would always mean the exit door for Smith, something which he had not denied for a number of months.

However, his desire to join arch rivals Manchester United raised more than a few eyebrows.

Smith eventually got his dream move on May 26, 2004, signing a five-year contract.

Leeds received £6million, with the reported £7million balance reflected in the savings made on the player's signing-on fees and other associated considerations.

Smith agreed to waive his signing-on fee as a sign of goodwill, with the club also confirming no agents' fees were incurred.

The striker made his debut in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, scoring United's consolation in a 3-1 defeat. .

But he struggled for goals after initial success and with Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy returning to full fitness Smith found himself deployed in a midfield role.

Roy Keane's career had effectively come to an end and United decided to use Smith's dogged, battling style in the centre of the park. Though Smith was able to do a job, he never looked to be a long-term solution in midfield and so it proved as he eventually had to look to pastures new.