Alan Smith (footballer, born 1962)
Introduction
Alan Martin Smith (born 21 November 1962 in Hollywood, Worcestershire) is an English former professional footballer and current sports television pundit, Football commentator and the club patron of Alvechurch F.C.. As a player, he was a striker from 1981 until retiring from injury in 1995.
He played for Leicester City before joining Arsenal where he played in the Premier League. He also won thirteen caps for England.
Playing career
Leicester City
A striker, Smith started his career at non-league Alvechurch in north Worcestershire. He then signed professional forms with Leicester City in June 1982. In his first season, he scored 13 goals in a partnership with Gary Lineker, as the Foxes won promotion to the First Division. He spent five seasons at Leicester, scoring 84 goals in 217 appearances. He was transferred to Arsenal in 1987.
Arsenal
During Smith's tenure with the Gunners the team won all three major domestic trophies – two League Championships, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup (in their 1993 'Cup Double') and in Europe the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He scored the first goal in Arsenal's League Championship winning victory at Anfield in May 1989, and the only goal of the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup Final victory against Parma. Smith was Arsenal's top scorer for four consecutive seasons, and the top scorer in the First Division in the 1988–89 season with 23 goals.
He received just one yellow card throughout his entire career. He retired from professional football in July 1995. Several clubs, including Watford, had expressed an interest in signing Smith just before he announced his retirement from playing.
In eight seasons at Highbury, he scored a total of 115 goals. His first league goals for the club came on 29 August 1987, when he netted a hat-trick in a 6–0 game versus Portsmouth at Highbury. His last came on 12 December 1994 in a 2–1 win over Manchester City in the FA Premier League at Maine Road. As well as his goals in the 1989 title clinching game and the European triumph of 1994, he scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in the First Division on 6 May 1991.
Media career
Smith is currently a regular co-commentator and sometimes studio pundit for Sky Sports. In 2011, he commentated on the Champions League final alongside Martin Tyler. On 30 June 2011, EA Sports announced that Smith would replace Andy Gray as Martin Tyler's partner in commentating in FIFA 12. This partnership continued in the subsequent FIFA 13, FIFA 14, FIFA 15, FIFA 16, and the most recent installment FIFA 17.
Playing style
Alan Smith was well known for his headers.
Career statistics
Club
| Season | Club | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Leicester City | 1982–83 | Second Division | 39 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 14 | |
| 1983–84 | First Division | 40 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 43 | 16 | ||
| 1984–85 | First Division | 39 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 45 | 15 | ||
| 1985–86 | First Division | 40 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 19 | ||
| 1986–87 | First Division | 42 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 46 | 20 | ||
| Total | 200 | 76 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | — | 217 | 84 | |||
| Arsenal | 1987–88 | First Division | 39 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | — | 50 | 16 | |
| 1988–89 | First Division | 36 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 43 | 25 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 38 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | — | 44 | 13 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 37 | 22 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 49 | 27 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 39 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 46 | 17 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 31 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 45 | 6 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 25 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 41 | 7 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 4 | |
| Total | 264 | 86 | 26 | 6 | 38 | 16 | 17 | 7 | 347 | 115 | ||
| Career Total | 464 | 162 | 34 | 10 | 47 | 20 | 17 | 7 | 564 | 199 | ||