David Smith (footballer, born 1968)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 March 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Grimsby Town (Commercial manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1986 | Coventry City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1993 | Coventry City | 154 | (19) |
| 1993 | → Bournemouth (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | Birmingham City | 35 | (3) |
| 1994–1998 | West Bromwich Albion | 102 | (2) |
| 1998–2002 | Grimsby Town | 112 | (9) |
| 2002–2003 | Swansea City | 4 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1988–1989 | England U21 | 10 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
David Smith (born 29 March 1968 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. Between 1986 and 2003, he played for Coventry City, A.F.C. Bournemouth, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Grimsby Town and Swansea City, making more than 400 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He won 10 caps for the England under-21 team.
Since 2004 he has been employed as the commercial manager at former club Grimsby Town.
Career
Smith started his career at Coventry City after signing professional terms with the club in 1986. He had previously failed trials at Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Luton Town, Swindon Town, and Bristol Rovers before becoming an apprentice at Coventry City in 1984. Four years on he made his debut as a teenager in the Premier League against Manchester United at Old Trafford, this ended in a 1–0 defeat. Smith became a regular in the side and earned several England under 21 caps. He soon became a Sky Blue's fan favourite due to his fast and exciting wing play.
After a loan spell at A.F.C. Bournemouth where he made one league appearance in 1993 he moved to Birmingham City where he spent a season before moving to local rivals West Bromwich Albion under Alan Buckley. He spent four years at the club before re-joining Alan Buckley half way through the 1997–1998 season. He scored on his debut for the club in a 4–0 win over Brentford F.C.in a league match at Blundell Park. Smith helped Grimsby Town win the Auto Windscreens Shield and Second Division play-offs. David Smith was a key member of that squad, proving his versatility by performing as a deputy for Tony Gallimore and regularly playing there for tactical reasons. One of his most notable moments at Grimsby Town was when he scored in the first-leg of the Division 2 play-off semi-final against Fulham F.C. in the 1997–1998 season. David Smith continued as a regular first-team player at Grimsby Town until he picked up an injury in 2001–02. He moved to Swansea City for the 2002–03 season playing in the Third Division, however several injuries prevented him from making an impact and he only managed 4 appearances all season, scoring 1 goal. He left Swansea at the end of the season and soon after retired.
Retirement
Upon retiring from professional football in 2003, Smith returned to Grimsby where he briefly worked in a local car dealership, before going into marketing. He was appointed as the new commercial manager at Grimsby Town F.C. in 2004[1]
Honours
Grimsby Town
- Auto Windscreens Shield winner: 1998
- Second Division playoff winner: 1998
References
General
- Rob Briggs and Dave Wherry (2007). Mariner Men: Grimsby Town Who's Who 1892–2007. Yore Publications. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-9552949-8-3.
- Barrie Courtney (10 January 2004). "England – U-21 International Results 1986–1995 – Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
- David Smith career statistics at Soccerbase
Specific
- ↑ "Who's Who at Blundell Park". Grimsby Town F.C. 23 February 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.