Alan Smith tells of his injury and career at Newcastle

Nov 2 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Alan Smith is having his best season at Newcastle United but knows he will never be the player he once was. Chief Sports Writer Luke Edwards talks to the midfielder

IT is the stuff of nightmares. It is the stuff of cold sweats. It is the moment every single professional footballer lives in fear of – the sickening, agonising, stomach-churning moment which destroys a career.

Every sportsman is haunted by them. Whether it is the jockey who knows an awkward fall could break a neck, a rugby prop who knows a faulty scrum could paralyse him or a tennis player who knows dislocated shoulders will render their service game useless.

Alan Smith has been there. He has tasted the blood and smelt it. He has shed the tears and taken the pain, that excruciating pain, that agonising pain, that horrific pain. And he has been scared.

When Smith broke his leg playing for Manchester United against Liverpool in February 2006 he suffered an injury which, even with modern medicine and rehabilitation techniques, could have ended his playing days.

That it did not owes as much to Smith’s resolve and determination to return. Yet, even in recovery, Smith knew he would never be the same again, that something had gone forever, lost on the Anfield pitch, in the ambulance which was attacked by Liverpool fans as it left the ground, on a hospital bed and in a physio room.

“I know I’ll never be able to get back to as good as I was in terms of that 2% that takes you to the very top – international level, Champions League level,” said Smith as Newcastle prepared for this evening’s tricky encounter with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. “I could still play there, but my injury will restrict me from competing at the very highest level. As soon as I did my injury I knew that. I spoke to Alex Ferguson about it and we both knew it would be so difficult to play at that standard, week in week out.