Alex Smith (footballer, born 1976) explained

Alex Smith
Fullname:Alexander Philip Smith
Birth Date:15 February 1976[1]
Birth Place:Liverpool, England
Height:[2]
Position:Full-back / Midfielder
Youthyears1:1994–1996
Youthclubs1:Everton
Years1:1996–1998
Clubs1:Swindon Town
Caps1:31
Goals1:1
Years2:1998
Clubs2:Huddersfield Town (loan)
Caps2:6
Goals2:0
Years3:1998–1999
Clubs3:Chester City
Caps3:32
Goals3:2
Years4:1999–2001
Clubs4:Port Vale
Caps4:58
Goals4:2
Years5:2001–2003
Clubs5:Reading
Caps5:14
Goals5:2
Years6:2002–2003
Clubs6:Shrewsbury Town (loan)
Caps6:13
Goals6:0
Years7:2003–2004
Clubs7:Chester City
Caps7:20
Goals7:4
Years8:2004–2006
Clubs8:Wrexham
Caps8:44
Goals8:0
Years9:2006–2007
Clubs9:Southport
Caps9:10
Goals9:1
Totalcaps:228
Totalgoals:12

Alexander Philip Smith (born 15 February 1976) is an English former footballer who made 263 professional appearances in an eleven-year career. He played in either a creative midfield role or a full-back position.

A former Everton trainee, he started his career with Swindon Town in 1996. Two years later, he was loaned out to Huddersfield Town, and transferred to Chester City. An impressive season won him a move to Port Vale, where he lifted the Football League Trophy in 2001. He left the club later that year to sign with Reading, where he remained for two years. He spent time on loan at Shrewsbury Town but returned to Chester for their 2003–04 Conference National winning campaign. Following this, he moved on to Wrexham before a season with Southport in 2006–07.

Career

Smith started his career as a trainee at Everton; he never made the first-team and was instead transferred to Swindon Town in January 1996.[3] However, he was used mainly as a substitute in their Second Division winning 1995–96 season and in their subsequent First Division campaigns. In all, he made 31 appearances for Steve McMahon's "Robins", scoring his first senior goal in a 2–1 win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on 8 February 1997. He enjoyed a two-month loan spell with Huddersfield Town in January 1998. He featured six times at the Galpharm Stadium under Peter Jackson. At the end of the 1997–98 season, he left the County Ground on a free transfer to Kevin Ratcliffe's Chester City. Within nine months at the Cheshire club, he had raised his profile after making some impressive performances during his 32 Third Division appearances in 1998–99.

Smith was purchased by Brian Horton's Port Vale in March 1999 for a fee of £75,000. He played eight games in the rest of the campaign, helping Vale to edge away from relegation, but only played 15 games in 1999–2000, as the "Valiants" were relegated to the third tier. He made 47 appearances in 2000–01, helping the club to lift the Football League Trophy in 2001 with a 2–1 victory over Brentford at the Millennium Stadium.[4]

After this success he left Vale Park for Alan Pardew's Reading on a free transfer.[5] He played 17 games in 2001–02, as the "Royals" won promotion as the Second Division's runners-up. He then found himself out of the first-team picture at the Madejski Stadium and spent December onwards of the 2002–03 season on loan at Shrewsbury Town, who were managed by his former boss Kevin Ratcliffe.[6] He played 18 games for a "Shrews" side that were ultimately relegated out of the Third Division.

Now a free agent, he rejoined Chester in November 2003 and made twenty appearances in their Conference National topping season, thus helping Mark Wright's "Seals" back into the Football League. However, he left the Deva Stadium for rivals Wrexham, then in League One, in July 2004.[7] [8] He played 30 times for Denis Smith's "Dragons" in 2004–05, as the Welsh club were relegated into League Two after being deducted ten points for entering administration. He played 23 games in 2005–06, before leaving the Racecourse Ground to play for Southport in August 2006. He played ten games at Haig Avenue in the 2006–07 season, as the "Sandgrounders" were relegated out of the Conference National.[9]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Everton1994–95Premier League0000000000
1995–96Premier League0000000000
Total0000000000
Swindon Town1995–96Second Division8000000080
1996–97First Division181000000181
1997–98First Division5000000050
Total311000000311
Huddersfield Town (loan)1997–98First Division6000000060
Chester City1998–99Third Division322004110373
Port Vale1998–99First Division8000000080
1999–2000First Division130002000150
2000–01Second Division372201071473
Total582203071703
Reading2001–02Second Division132102110173
2002–03First Division1000000010
Total142102110183
Shrewsbury Town (loan)2002–03Third Division130200000180
Chester City2003–04Conference National204000000204
Wrexham2004–05League One240102030300
2005–06League Two200101010230
Total440203040530
Southport2006–07Conference National101000000101
Career total228127012216126315

Honours

Swindon Town

1995–96

Port Vale

2000–01[10]

Reading

Chester City

2003–04

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player Details . SFC FPA . 1 November 2022 . 9 November 2016.
  2. Web site: FootballSquads – Port Vale – 2000/01 . footballsquads.co.uk . 24 June 2019.
  3. Web site: Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk – Alex SMITH – Player Profile . swindon-town-fc.co.uk . 1 November 2022.
  4. News: Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy. 2 April 2012. BBC Sport. 22 April 2001.
  5. Web site: Reading bag Vale's Smith. 18 July 2001. BBC Sport. 19 May 2009.
  6. Web site: Shrews bag Smith on loan. 13 December 2002. BBC Sport. 19 May 2009.
  7. Web site: Wrexham line up Smith. 8 July 2004. BBC Sport. 19 May 2009.
  8. Web site: Wrexham target Smith . 8 July 2004. BBC Sport. 19 May 2009.
  9. Web site: 2006/07 Appearances . southportfcstats.co.uk . 19 May 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725033455/http://www.southportfcstats.co.uk/200607_appearances__scorers.htm . 25 July 2008 .
  10. News: Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy. 19 January 2016. BBC Sport. 22 April 2001.