Alan Smith leg break: Ex-Man Utd player still feels effects of injury v Liverpool in 2006

Former Manchester United forward Alan Smith is reportedly still struggling with the after effects of the horrendous injury he suffered while playing against Liverpool in 2006.

Former Manchester United striker Alan Smith is believedtobe still dealing with the aftermath of ahorrific injury he sustainedinagame against Liverpool in 2006. In2004hesufferedahorrible broken leg and sprained ankle while blocking a John Arne Riise free-kick at Anfield in the final stages of the FA Cup firstroundmatch at Anfield.

Riise anticipated his chances from 40 yards out but his powerful leftfootedshot was bravely blocked by Smith, whohis United team-mates knew was amiss.

Edwin van der Sar and Gary Neville immediately called United medical staff forhelp while Ruud van Nistelrooy left the scene with his hands coveredinfrontof his face.

“That’swrong,”said Sir Alex Ferguson, who wasthendeveloping Smith into a defensive midfielder.”He’s gone to the hospital, looks likeareally long sentence, one of the worst I’veseen.

” Considering how long Ferguson had been involved in the game, it quicklybecameclearto everyone that this was a serious situation for Smith.

Wes Brown was one of the first players on site. The defenseattorney said: “Heyelled at me straight away. I walked towards him and saw his ankle so I grabbed his hand.I didn’t want it to move in case something happened.

Ferguson later added: “Those who were shocked were Van der Sar and Neville. We knew thenthat it was wrong.

“The amazing thing about Alan Smith is how philosophical he was about it. He himselfwasn’tshocked.He took it so calmlythat we couldn’t believe it. I think itwas that calmness and herwayofdealingwithhim that allowed him to have a goodrehab forbeing the smudger everyone loves and fallsin love with.”

United defeated Wigan Athletic afew weeks later in the League Cup final and goals from Wayne Rooney securedacomfortable4-0winatCardiff’sMillenniumStadium(2), Louis Sah and Cristiano Ronaldo During the trophy celebration, United players wore ‘For you Smudge’shirtsasa tribute to their injured team-mates.

Smith spent eight months on the touchline before returning to action but left Old Trafford at the end of the 2006/07seasonforNewcastleUnited.

He was four years old at St. James’ Park and helped the NorthEastsidegain promotion to the Premier League in 2010 after the clubhadbeenrelegated to the Championship 12 months earlier.

Smith joined League One’s MK Dons midway through the 2011/12 season after struggling for afew minutes at Newcastle.

He finallymadethepermanentmoveto MK Dons before retiring in 2018 afterfouryears with Notts County.

Alan Smith still feels the effects of 2006 leg break

But later that year the former England international admitted he was still feeling the aftermath of Riise’s blocked free-kick.

Smith has “about ten needles” in his ankle and has a limp every day when he gets out of bed. Sixteen years later, he’s still in pain, according to The Sun.

“I knew it was going to be difficult with the injury, I would be able to continue playing – that’s what the surgeon said,” he told the Mirror. league player.

“But I didn’t want to because I liked playing soccer. Your love for her pushes you past the pain barrier.

“Most of the people I played with and the coaches respected me for staying in football even though it would have been easy to quit.

“But I crashed in league, I crashed in Ligue 1 and I crashed in Ligue 2.”

“A lot of people say to me, ‘Why am I worried?’Whether I was making £500 a week or nothing, if people thought I could add something I wanted to keep playing.

Smith added: “The injury made me a better person after performing well at such a young age.

“I learned that football can end. I was lucky with the stubbornness and determination with which I continued to play.

“The good people I met in the lower leagues probably made me want to stay in football longer.But in the end, the daily training did more harm than good.

“I couldn’t compete at a level that I could easily reach before. I get up and cannot walk normally, my ankles are always stiff.

“Last summer I went running and was able to run a few miles, but I stopped and started running because my ankle hurt. I was there last month and the surgeon said “I don’t want you to walk straight” just because it would damage the joint.

“It’s always hard to leave, but when you see someone who doesn’t want you to run away, you know it’s the right decision. I have no regrets, for me early retirement is the easiest option.

What does ex-footballer Alan Smith do now?

What did Smith do after retiring?

The 41-year-old applied for a US visa so that he could move to Florida and coach youngsters.

He serves as the Academy Director of XL Soccer Academy in Orlando, and told reporters: “The goal of The XL Academy is to produce National Team players while giving every student the opportunity to perform to their greatest potential on the field and in the classroom.”

The Yorkshireman also took up surfing, spending six hours in the water on his first go until he could stand on the board.

It sounds like Smith, despite feeling the effects of that terrible injury, is still making the most of life post-retirement.