davieG Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith-4-280-2248096_478x359.jpg Alan SmithImage by: Press Association Next week Leicester City will play their first ever game at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Earlier this season, Alan Smith spoke to Club Historian John Hutchinson about his career with Leicester City, Arsenal and England. Alan played well over 200 games for Leicester City between 1982 and 1987, scoring 84 goals, most of them in the old First Division. He then spent eight years at Arsenal, with whom he won two League titles, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. He also won the Golden Boot twice.image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith1-web280-2248100.jpg Alan signed for Jock Wallace’s Leicester City in June 1982 with the Club looking for a return to the top Division. “When I was playing for (Southern League) Alvechurch, it was a good standard of football. Jock Wallace’s assistant, big Ian MacFarlane, offered me a three or four year contract at Leicester which gave me a bit of security. I was studying Modern Languages at Coventry Polytechnic at the time. It was £15,000 for the transfer and another £7,000 if I made so many appearances."Then Jock left. I was wondering what would happen, as new managers often don’t fancy players signed or played by the previous manager, but it worked in my favour because the new manager Gordon Milne got rid of a lot of Jock’s players. He wanted to build his own team. "I remember playing for the reserves against Northampton in a pre-season game at Belvoir Drive. The first team were playing Northampton’s first team and Gordon called me over for the second half. I replaced Alan Young, got a hat-trick and started the first game of the season. Jock had said I would have to wait a couple of years to learn my trade but I went straight into the team and had to learn as I went along. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith-web280-2248099.jpg "I was lucky. I formed a good relationship with Gary Lineker. Our styles suited each other and it went well. We had a very good team. We had some experienced old heads which was a great help to me. Stevie Lynex was great for me as a winger. He put in some great crosses and between us me Gary and Stevie scored a few goals!” This is an understatement. The three of them scored a total of 156 League and Cup goals between them in the three seasons they played together. Alan’s first season saw Leicester City promoted back to the top flight even though confirmation of promotion was delayed for a few days after the final game because Fulham, Leicester’s main rivals for promotion, appealed against their game being ended early because of crowd trouble at Derby. “My first year in professional football was incredible really, going from non-league football to the old First Division. I was training full time. My fitness improved. It was hard at the start, but the standard of football was much higher and I learnt a great deal. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith2-web280-2248101.jpg "We did not have the best of starts in the top division, losing our first six games. Personally you wonder whether you are good enough at that level, but we gradually found our feet. You win a game or two and then think, ‘we can do this’ and you play with more confidence.” Leicester City finished 15th that season. Alan and Gary Lineker’s prolific goalscoring partnership thrived until Gary’s transfer to League Champions Everton in June 1985. “It was difficult when Gary left. We were all wondering how we would manage without his goals. The onus was on me to produce a few goals and I managed to do that. We tried different partnerships with players like Mark Bright and Stevie Moran.” In the two seasons after Gary’s departure, Alan scored 19 and 17 League goals in a struggling side. In March 1987, he was transferred to Arsenal for £800,000 and then loaned back to Leicester City for the rest of the season. This arrangement resulted in Alan playing for his old team against his new team at Highbury in April 1987 (pictured below). image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith3-web280-2248102.jpg “That was very odd. I remember telling Gordon that I didn’t really want to play in that game as it put me in an awkward situation but Gordon said the reason I had been loaned back was to help the fight against relegation. I remember going into the away dressing room and seeing some of the Arsenal lads passing the door and saying hello. It was a surreal experience. Both sets of fans were singing my name so I was waving to both ends. Gary McAllister gave me a right ear-full, telling me to keep my mind on the game! We got walloped 4-1. It was very weird!” Recalling his glittering trophy-laden career at Arsenal, Alan reflected: “I joined Arsenal at the right time. There was a core of good players coming through the youth team like Tony Adams, David Rocastle and Micky Thomas. George Graham was building a new side and releasing older players like Charlie Nicholas, Graham Rix and Tony Woodcock. He wanted a young and hungry team. "The history of Arsenal hit me when I went to the ground. The chief scout showed me around. We went on to the pitch and he told me that a lot of centre-forwards had come to Arsenal and not done themselves justice. That put the fear of God into you! You could just feel the history and the expectation." Alan certainly did live up to expectations. Not only did he win the first of his Golden Boots in his second season, he played a pivotal role in the never-to-be forgotten final match of the season at Anfield when Arsenal clinched the title in the final 25 seconds. Needing to win by two clear goals, Alan headed home Arsenal’s first in the 52nd minute (pictured below) and then, with seconds remaining, flicked on a ball for to Michael Thomas to score the second goal in front of a live TV audience of millions. image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith4-web280-2248103.jpg “It was an incredible night. The highlight of my career. To win the title like that, you couldn’t make it up. As a player you want to perform when it matters on the big occasion so I was really pleased and satisfied that I could produce my best when the pressure was on. In the dressing room afterwards we all realized that it couldn’t get much better than that.” Two years later, Alan repeated the feat of winning the Golden Boot and winning the League Title in the same season. In 1993 he picked up winners’ medals for both the Football League Cup and the FA Cup. He also won 13 England caps between 1988 and 1992. A European Cup Winners' medal followed in 1994. “We were the underdogs that night against Parma. They had so many world class players like Gianfranco Zola. Our defence was brilliant. I got the goal, but they held out (pictured below). image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/news/alan-smith5-web280-2248104.jpg "When I was 32, I was told I had to pack up due to injury. I was devastated, but I’d had a 13 year career which is a lot more than the average career so I was lucky. When I think back to my Leicester days I always get a warm feeling. They were a great first club to have and I made good friends there. I never actually lived in Leicester but a group of us, Stevie Lynex, Bob Hazell, Mark Hutchinson and Peter Eastoe, used to share lifts and meet at Corley Service Station. We would cram into the car and have a right laugh!” Read more at http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/former-player-remembers-alan-smith-2248135.aspx#VTGZ0cvO1aeIr6ol.99
Crinklyfox Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Great player. We could do with him and Gary Lineker now.
bovril Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Too young to have seen him play unfortunately. His scoring record with us was fantastic.
lgfualol Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 "Well I joined Leicester on loan from arsenal, played arsenal at Highbury! Both sets of fans cheering my name" 'Positively I hope' "Yeah but we did get whacked three nil!"
Stadt Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 I always thought Leicester was more of a rugby town
Sunbury Fox Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Great player. Lineker, Smith and Lynex was some forward line - think they knocked in over 50 goals between them in the old first division in that 83/84 season.
DANGEROUS TIGER Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Smithy was a top quality player, and I always considered him to on a par with Lineker
DB11 Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 He loves talking about his time at Leicester on FIFA
Mark 'expert' Lawrenson Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 My favourite ever front 3, Lynex, Lineker and Smith, was a privilege to watch them.
Guest bss9401 Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Very good read. One of my favourite players of all time. I was so pleased for him with what he went on to achieve. Lineker, Lynex and Smith, a forward line to dream of and we had it! A world class front two and a good old fashioned winger who scored a few himself!
Claridge Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 No Tattoo's and from a time long gone Sure he got his front teeth knocked out during a game and carried on before going on the pitch at the end to find them.Fantastic player for us
RUDZY Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Sure he got his front teeth knocked out during a game and carried on before going on the pitch at the end to find them. Fantastic player for us Warriors in them days
fazzyfox Posted 4 February 2015 Posted 4 February 2015 Five people in a car and two of them are Bob Hazel and Peter Eastoe! What was it, the Ford Tardis? I'm picturing the Ant Hill mob from Penelope pitstop. He really hit the ground running, surprisingly accomplished and intelligent for someone coming straight from non league, his first season was an incredible achievement which he managed to exceed with his first season in the top flight, the post Lineker responsibility of being the main man and then everything he achieved with Arsenal.
TrentFox Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 Fabulous attacking force we had back then. Every time we went forward, I fully expected us to score. Smudger doesn't feature in many of our 'best ever' team selections, but he was a superb signing.
Burmesefox Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 I loved Smudger. What an era that was, you could name the starting 11 virtually every week.
smiggy6773 Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 Alan and Gary Lineker were the deadly duo always scoring, with Steve Lynex & Andy Peake contributing....Always remember Alan Smith in 86/87 season, I think bagged 17 goals that season before he joined Arsenal. He never quite hit it off with Steve Moran that season. Also, Alan and Steve Lynex switched on the Christmas lights on in Barwell in 1985 or 1986...can't remember..ha ha..they spent most of the time in the Queens Head!!!!!!
Robin JD Popley Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 Again, I am slightly too young to have had the privilage of seeing him and Gary tear defences apart but my Dad always says the pair of them alongside Steve Lynex was incredible. Always comes across as one of the most genuinely nice footballing people you could wish to meet too. Often hear Gary and him speak of how close they are as friends, must have been amazing to watch.
cjslcfc Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 Shame I couldn't have seen him, Lineker etc... in action. Bet it was a joy to behold
stingray Posted 5 February 2015 Posted 5 February 2015 absolute class. used to provide Gary with goals on a plate.
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