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Not many footballers move from Leeds United to bitter rivals Manchester United.

Not many footballers can say they have played in a Champions League semi-final and in England's fourth tier.

Alan Smith is not most footballers.

As he finally calls time on a playing career that saw him turn out for Leeds, Man United, Newcastle and England, then be humble enough — and determined enough — to carry on despite some awful injuries in the lower leagues with MK Dons and Notts County, he looks back on his highs and lows.

ALAN SMITH ON...

...his most memorable game?

“The 7-1 game against Roma in 2007.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

"It was my first game back from missing 15 months with an ankle injury. We were 2-1 down from the first leg but it was bouncing that night at Old Trafford. To turn it around and win 7-1 that night , Sir Alex said it was the best European performance he had been involved in so it was a proud moment for myself to score and be in an all-round team performance.

...his favourite goal?

“For the occasion, away against Lazio for Leeds United in the Champions League. As a kid we all grew up watching Italian football on Channel Four and to score at the Olympic Stadium in Rome was a special night in a 1-0 victory.

...toughest individual opponent?

“Roberto Ayala, the centre-half for Valencia. I played against him a couple of times. It seemed the harder you hit, the harder he got. He was a great Argentinian centre-half. They are renowned for how tough they are and he lived up to that.

(Image: Reuters)

...his Leeds days

“I was a kid at 17 who respected and looked up to all players but when you were out there on the pitch you had to compete and you couldn’t show them respect. You have to believe in yourself.

“At Leeds at one stage, people kept thinking [of him], 'He keeps getting in trouble with his discipline, maybe he is too emotional to play for the club.' But we then went away to Fiorentina to play against Tel Aviv and I scored four goals.

“It is down to sheer single-mindedness, at times.

(Image: Getty)

When I look back and I needed a performance I have always been able to find one. It was through grit and determination. Football is a team game and I would always hope I was selfless for the team and always did my best for the team.

...moving to Manchester United

“Leaving Leeds to go to Man United caused a hoo-ha but I hope I got respect from the people I worked with and who managed me.

“I would like to think Leeds could be proud of me going from Leeds to Manchester United because there is not many kids coming through the system from 10 years old who get to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world. But it was a shame that people at the club who brought me through never got much credit for it because it had to be a bit hush-hush and people felt they had to hide it under a bush.

“I loved it at Manchester United though, it was intense and I saw it as a great opportunity to learn from some of the best of the players. I was probably a bit of annoyance to them because I wanted to learn and put myself against them in training. I remember my first pre-season I would sit and talk to the best players, like Roy Keane.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

“The people and players there, when they had won something they would be so focused on trying to win again. That separated them and why they were the best because they were obsessed with winning.”

...playing for Newcastle

“The Championship-winning team in 2009-2010 was really good. That was a great season.

“Unfortunately the previous season we got relegated. I only played a handful of times just because of injury. There was a lot of disappointment we had gone down but also a nucleus of players who felt it was important that before we all went our separate ways that we had a point to prove to get promoted.

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“Although we ended up winning it at a canter, before the season started a lot of people were writing us off and tipping us to carry on and go straight down again. That gets forgotten about because people say you won the league easily because you had the best team but it is not always easy to win."

...life in the lower leagues

“I wanted to get picked for what I can do, not because of what I did for Leeds or Manchester United. That didn’t grant me any right to be saying I should be playing in a League One or League Two team.

“It was never a problem to me to a sub in League One or a sub in League Two. You are at that level for a reason and you are judged on what you do now.

(Image: Getty)

“You can’t carry on into infinity and beyond. You can’t say, 'I was good ten years ago so you have to pick me.' It doesn’t work. That is how I think you earn respect from the lads at League One or League Two — because you don’t automatically think you should be in the team."

...Alan Smith: England international

“My England career was the highest accolade.

“I broke in through playing well for Leeds and had three seasons where I was playing at the top of my game before I had my injury. I broke into the squad and then scored my first goal on my first start against Portugal.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

“In 2002 I had been in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers but ended up getting sent off for two yellows against Macedonia and ended up not going to the World Cup because of that. I understood and it was probably a good learning curve for me.

“I was then in every squad when we qualified for Euro 2004 and didn’t go. And didn’t go to the World Cup in 2006 after I had gone to Manchester United and established myself, because I got injured.

“But the strikers I was competing against at that time were players like Alan Shearer, Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Teddy Sheringham.”