Alan Smith has admitted it would have been easy to run away from
the challenge of forcing his way back into Sir Alex Ferguson's
plans at Manchester United.
The ebullient Yorkshireman rejected at least four opportunities to
go out on loan in January as he continued his recovery from the
horrific leg fractures he suffered at Liverpool last year.
Both former club Leeds United and Cardiff City made firm enquiries
for the player but he turned down the chance to continue his
recovery in the Championship.
Having already abandoned two attempted comebacks, it appeared
Smith's stubborn streak was merely prolonging an inevitable Old
Trafford exit this summer.
History suggests defying Ferguson, who was keen for Smith to
explore first-team options elsewhere, is not exactly the best way
forward at United.
Yet amazingly, the former Leeds striker has been proved 100 per
cent correct to sit tight and stay where he was.
Surprisingly handed a starting berth in the Champions League
quarter-final with Roma, Smith followed up his devastating,
goalscoring appearance against the Italians with another typically
industrious display in the FA Cup semi-final win over Watford on
Saturday.
With Louis Saha still sidelined, Smith looks certain to keep his
starting place tomorrow as the Red Devils seek to extend their lead
at the Barclays Premiership summit to six points by beating
Sheffield United at Old Trafford.
It is the kind of situation Smith could only have dreamed about 12
months ago, as the full horror of the injury he suffered at Anfield
began to sink in.
But it was exactly what he was thinking of when he looked Ferguson
in the eye and told him he was not going anywhere.
'Manchester United are the biggest football club in the world,'
said Smith. 'It is a huge challenge and in difficult times, it
would have been easy to run away from it. But I am not going to do
that.
'Sometimes, you have to make brave decisions. A lot of people
questioned me when I said I wanted to stay but now, I hope the
manager is pleased with the decision I made.'
Smith's United career has been eventful to say the least.
The Rothwell-born player received death threats when he quit his
beloved Leeds to join the Elland Road outfit's hated Roses rivals
in 2004.
Smith then scored five goals in his first six games before ending
the season as an unused substitute in the FA Cup Final defeat to
Arsenal.
The following summer, Ferguson performed a U-turn on his initial
vow to use the 26-year-old purely in a striking role by asking him
to anchor United's midfield as he tried to find a replacement for
the soon-to-be-departing Roy Keane.
As always, Smith embraced the challenge with gusto. But he did not
quite look the part and the possibility exists if he had not been
injured at Liverpool, he might well have been sacrificed last
summer.
Instead, he has turned his career on its head and seems certain to
be heavily involved as the race for silverware intensifies.
'I know I can do it in the Premiership, that has never been in
question,' he said. 'This time last year I only had one leg but I
have always been confident that I can have a positive effect on the
team when I am fully fit.
'The gaffer showed a lot of belief in me when he picked me against
Roma. It was everything I have worked for.'
