May 2004. Arsenal’s Invincibles had won the Premier League, conquering all before them. Manchester United had won the FA Cup for a record eleventh time, beating Millwall 3-0 in Cardiff, and José Mourinho’s Porto shocked the rest of Europe by winning the Champions League.

45 miles away from Manchester though, the unthinkable had happened. Three seasons after reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League amidst financial troubles and a fire sale of key players.

One man who had stayed on through the crisis off and on the pitch, however, was Alan Smith. While the likes of Harry Kewell, Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer moved on to pastures new, Smudge, as he was affectionally called, stuck by the club through the hard times, making him a local hero to the supporters at Elland Road.

Despite winning the Fans’ Player of the Year for two consecutive years (2003 and 2004), Smith was unable to prevent Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League, and the images of him kissing the Leeds badge and crying following the Whites’ final game of the season against Charlton Athletic summed up his feelings for the club. Little did we know that it would be his last game for Leeds.

Three weeks later, the same fans that followed and worshipped Smith’s every move would be calling him a traitor, just like Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand before him. He would be doing something that he said on record that he would never do – move to Manchester United.

£7 million was all it took to bring the 23-year old Smith to Manchester, with youngster Danny Pugh heading in the other direction. He even waived the £1 million transfer fee owed to him by Leeds, but this did not stop some Leeds fans being betrayed by his actions, even though the club had publicly stated that they could not afford to pay his wages, and it was later revealed that Leeds had engineered the move themselves (United were the only club that were willing to pay Smith’s transfer fee upfront).

At his unveiling, Smith said: “Not a lot of people would have brave enough to make this step. It was a difficult decision because crossing the Pennines always causes a lot of hostility but from a personal point of view Manchester United can offer me everything I want.”

Smith’s decision also endeared him to his new manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who said: “I’ve never more impressed with a young player. His desire to play for United is fantastic. Certain young people come along with a special determination and after speaking to him I expect that from Alan Smith. That desire will take him a long way.”

There were mixed emotions amongst United fans when Smith joined the club – some held the fact that he had played for the Reds’ bitter rivals against him. Others found the irony in the situation and poked fun at Leeds’ predicament while Smith wore the red shirt. Either way, the man from Rothwell would have to hit the ground running if he was to win over the fans – after all, first impressions are everything.

Clearly Smudge believed in that mantra, scoring a sumptuous volley on his debut against Arsenal in the Community Shield (a game that United eventually lost 3-1) before scoring another one against Norwich City on his Old Trafford debut, this time on his weaker foot. The promising start by the Englishman left fans wanting more, and they hoped that he could challenge Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy for a first team place.

However, his debut season was hampered by injuries and he missed out on some crucial games, including the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Chelsea (United lost 2-1), and the FA Cup final against Arsenal, which the Reds eventually lost on penalties. Still, Smith scored ten goals in all competitions – which wasn’t a great tally by any means, but gave fans hope that he would come good next season.

Sir Alex certainly had high hopes for Smith – ahead of the 2005/06 season, it emerged that the manager had earmarked the striker as a successor for Roy Keane in the United engine room, stating: “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.”

The United skipper agreed with his manager’s assessment. “I’ve looked at him at close quarters and I think Alan’s got a good chance of playing in that role. But Alan would be the first to admit he has got a lot to learn. I like to try and judge players on their performances and not what they are going to do, so hopefully in time, Alan will become that player,” Keane said.

Praise from either Sir Alex or Keane was taken in stride by Smith, and the commitment and work rate he had shown in his debut season at the club did not falter as he adapted to his new holding midfield role. On the surface, it seemed that he was adapting nicely, but he never seemed to be completely comfortable in midfield.

Smith would be given the chance to prove his credentials in holding midfield after Keane was injured early on in the season against Liverpool (which would prove to be the Irishman’s last game for United), but rarely looked effective in midfield. Fans had hoped that Smith would grow into the role, but their hopes were dashed and in reality, Keane’s commitment and work rate in midfield could not be matched.

Criticism of the decision to play Smith in midfield was mounting, and the greatest criticism of all came from Keane himself. After United were thrashed 4-1 by Middlesbrough in October 2005, Keane, still on the sidelines, gave an explosive interview to MUTV (which was never aired) where he savaged his team-mates’ performances. Smith did not escape criticism, with the skipper allegedly saying: “He [Smith] is wandering around as if he is lost. He doesn’t know what he is doing.”

With the pressure reaching boiling point, Smith knew that his performance against league leaders Chelsea, coming off the back of a defeat against Lille in the Champions League, would be heavily scrutinised in the wake of Keane’s explosive comments. He would be facing Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Claude Makelele in midfield, one of the best midfield trios in Europe at that moment, with years of experience under their belt.

But it sure didn’t faze Smith, who was determined to prove that he could succeed in that midfield role. On that November night, Smudge won every fifty-fifty ball he came across and dove into challenges like a man possessed, not backing down from the fight. United won 1-0 through a Darren Fletcher goal, and Smith was given the man of the match award. In his post-match interview, when asked how he handled the Chelsea midfield with ease, he said: “Work rate and commitment.”

Smith vindicated Sir Alex’s decision to play him in midfield with that performance against Chelsea and there wasn’t any reason why he couldn’t hold down a position in midfield. Months went by, and Smith was putting in solid performances. He wasn’t outstanding, but he was holding a place down in the United midfield, but more often than not he would not play the entire 90 minutes, either coming off the bench as a substitute or being substituted with time to spare.

February 2006. United travelled to Anfield to play Liverpool in a fifth round FA Cup tie, seeking to maintain a proud record (lasting 85 years) of not losing to Liverpool in the competition. Smith would start on the bench, with Fletcher and Ryan Giggs being preferred in the centre of midfield. After a poor display from the Reds, with Liverpool going a goal up after twenty minutes and dominating proceedings, Smith was sent on by Sir Alex with fifteen minutes left. He could bully the Liverpool midfield, or get further forward and score a leveller.

However, things were about to take a horrific turn for a worse. Smith attempted to block a powerful John Arne Riise free-kick in the final minutes, but the force of the free-kick caused Smith to land awkwardly, and he immediately collapsed in agony. Edwin van der Sar frantically waved towards the touchline for medical attention, and Ruud van Nistelrooy immediately turned around in horror. upon looking at the situation. Smith had broken his leg and dislocated his ankle. “When I looked, the leg was lying one way and my ankle was pointing towards Hong Kong so I knew I was in serious trouble,” he later remarked.

Sir Alex described it as one of the worst injuries he had ever seen on a football pitch, and reports after the match claimed that Liverpool fans had attacked Smith’s ambulance as it left Anfield, although he refuted the claims recently in an interview with FourFourTwo. “It didn’t happen – fans were still in the ground,” he said. “I had loads of mail from fans after the injury, including a lot from Liverpool. And Liverpool’s medical staff were great. They were worried that because there was no blood flowing that I could have had a club foot.”

Smith was ruled out for nine months after undergoing surgery, and United paid tribute to Smith after their League Cup victory against Wigan (a week after the Liverpool game) by collecting the trophy in T-shirts printed with the words “For you Smudge”. Smith was a favourite in the dressing room and had won over the fans with his heart, drive and passion, and this was a fitting tribute to a man who may have suffered a career-ending injury.

With the 2006/07 season approaching, Smith would be converted back into a striker once he recovered from his injury, with Sir Alex having sold van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid. Smith made his return with the reserves in August 2006, and would make his comeback to the first team in September, playing the last five minutes in a 1-0 away win over Benfica in the Champions League. Smudge was back from his injury hell, and it was good to see him back in a United shirt.

He made his first start in eight months in a 2-1 win against Crewe Alexandra in the League Cup, but first team appearances were few and far between and he only made one appearance off the bench in four months. The road to full recovery was slow, and Smith was clearly lacking match fitness. Rumours circulated that Cardiff City and Smudge’s first love, Leeds United wanted to sign him on loan. Those rumours were swiftly put to bed though, as Smith wanted to fight his way back into first team contention by embarking on a gruelling fitness programme.

Smudge would return to first team contention, playing fifteen minutes in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Lille in March 2007, before making his first competitive start at Old Trafford since the horrific injury against Liverpool two and a half weeks later in an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Middlesbrough. Then came a succession of games where Smith would be substituted off or brought on before he would be given the chance to start in a big game. It would be Smith’s finest moment in a United shirt.

April 10, 2007. United hosted Roma in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, seeking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. The scene was set for another magical European night at Old Trafford, and Smith was given the start up front alongside Wayne Rooney. It lived up to the billing. Ten minutes in, Michael Carrick scored the first, a curled effort from distance, levelling the tie on aggregate. The scoreline would have sent the Reds through on away goals, but they weren’t content. They smelled blood.

Moments later, Gabriel Heinze played a combination with Giggs, who flighted a perfect through ball to Smith. The scene was set. He composed himself and lashed it past Doni in the Roma goal. The crowd erupted as Smith had scored his first goal for United since November 2005, and he ran towards the corner flag in absolute delight. The injury nightmare was over, as ITV’s Clive Tyldesley exclaimed on commentary: “THE FORGOTTEN MAN IS BACK!”

It would eventually finish 7-1 to the Reds on that tremendous night of football, and that would be the highlight of Smith’s career at Old Trafford. The following week, he put in a scintillating performance against Watford in the FA Cup semi-final, despite not scoring himself, he created a plethora of chances for the likes of Roney and Ronaldo.

United reclaimed the Premier League title at the end of the 2006/07 season, and Smith would receive a winner’s medal despite falling one game short of the ten necessary to gain a medal. He would also gain an FA Cup runners-up medal as the Reds lost to Chelsea in the first final to be played at the renovated Wembley. Smith replaced Fletcher in the second minute of extra time in that game – it would also prove to be his last competitive appearance for United.

Smith would appear on United’s pre-season tour of the Far East ahead of the following season, but Newcastle United had put in a bid of around £6 million for him. United accepted, and Smith would be on his way to Tyneside on a five-year contract. Everyone at United wished him the best of luck, but deep down everyone knew that Smith’s days with the Reds were numbered.

Smudge could have been a legend at Old Trafford. He wore his heart on his sleeve and his drive, passion and commitment to the cause was exemplary. Despite his prior connections with Leeds United, he quickly won over the fans with his determination and dedication to being the best player he could. The similarities with Keane were there – he was tenacious, persistent and willing to track back and win the ball, just like the Irishman.

At times it looked as if Smith wouldn’t live up to expectations – he couldn’t dislodge either Rooney or van Nistelrooy up front and his spell in midfield looked like a massive failure during a rough patch for United. He knuckled down and fought back, and it seemed that he had cemented himself in the first team picture.

But the horrific injury he suffered at Anfield effectively derailed his career at United. It was thirteen months before he started another game for the Reds. He was never going to be the same player after that day, but to his credit he didn’t let it define him. He worked hard through the injury nightmare and when he scored against Roma, it was definitely an emotional moment for most United fans.

Manchester United never saw the best of Alan Smith. The potential was never fulfilled, and the forgotten man never came back to his best. But Smudge played his heart out for the Reds, and if not for that horrific injury, he could have gone on to become a bonafide United legend.