Alan Smith is remembered by fans of a plethora of Premier League clubs for a variety of reasons. Leeds United fans remember the agony of selling their homegrown star to bitter rivals Manchester United. Red Devils and Liverpool fans will remember his bizarre injury, breaking his leg by blocking a John Arne Riise free-kick. For Newcastle United fans, the image of Smith is one of a player who regularly sported the captain’s armband, yet rarely enjoyed an extended run in the team.
In South Korea, however, Smith has a very different sort of legacy, popularising the phrase ‘Leeds Days’ to such an extent that it has long since breached the country’s footballing sphere and now exists as part of the daily vernacular of everyday Koreans.
We take a look at the former midfielder’s career and how he ended up coining an expression in South Korea.
Leeds Days
Smith’s prime years came with his boyhood club
Smith was born in Rothwell and made his professional debut with Leeds in 1998, scoring on his debut – just three minutes after coming on as a substitute – against Liverpool to spark fervent excitement about the heights his career could hit.
He scored on his second Premier League appearance as well – this time against Charlton Athletic – and soon found himself a regular starter, pairing with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink up front for much of the second half of the 1998/99 campaign. His time at Leeds ended on a sad note, however, as he was unable to prevent the Whites from slipping into the Championship in his final season at the club.
Manchester United Career
A move to a bitter rival
To make matters worse, not only did Smith’s final season at Leeds end in relegation, but he was sold to the Whites’ bitter rivals Manchester United in the summer, causing the fanbase that had previously adored him to turn. However, the move was motivated by Leeds’ financial difficulties – the Yorkshire club could not pay his wages as a Championship side and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had offered the club’s asking price upfront. That did not protect him from the ire of his old fans, however, who made their feelings known when the two teams played each other.
Smith was eventually repurposed as a holding midfielder, an unexpected positional shift for a player who had spent the majority of his career upfront or on the right wing – but he was unable to displace Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Smith largely struggled in the role, however, and a freak injury suffered in an FA Cup clash with Liverpool in 2006 – a broken leg and a dislocated ankle suffered after blocking a free-kick – was a blow from which his career at the club would never recover.
He managed just nine Premier League appearances in the 2006/07 campaign, which would prove to be his final one at Old Trafford – he moved to Newcastle United that summer having played a mere bit-part role in the Red Devils’ title-winning campaign.
South Korean Culture
The coining of ‘Leeds Days’
The first piece of the puzzle in unpicking Smith’s involvement in the coining of the phrase ‘Leeds Days’ in South Korea is his association with Korean star Park Ji-sung, his team-mate at United.
Park playing for United increased media attention on the club – and its other players – within South Korea. Smith’s struggles after moving from a rival club and injury issues ensured his name was mentioned regularly, with a recurring discussion about his ‘Leeds Days’ being a rosier spell in his career.
As a result, the phrase came to be synonymous with nostalgia, being referenced as a ‘golden’ time in a person’s past – their best days. Even those with no interest in football use the expression frequently – though they may not know that they have Smith to thank for its existence.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 23-10-24.