Dean Smith
Personal information
Full name Dean Smith[1]
Date of birth (1958-11-28)28 November 1958
Place of birth Leicester, England
Date of death 17 April 2009(2009-04-17) (aged 50)[1]
Place of death Leicester, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1975–1977 Leicester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1978 Leicester City 10 (1)
1978 → Houston Hurricane (loan) 17 (6)
1978–1980 Brentford 54 (15)
1980–1981 Nuneaton Borough 4 (0)
Shepshed Charterhouse
Enderby Town
Hinckley Town
Corby Town
St Andrews
Oadby Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dean Smith (28 November 1958 – 17 April 2009) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Leicester City and Brentford.

Career

Leicester City

A forward, Smith began his career in the youth system at hometown First Division club Leicester City in April 1975 and progressed to sign his first professional contract in December 1976.[3][4] Smith had to wait until September 1977 to make his first team debut, which came when he replaced Eddie Kelly during a 5–1 defeat to Everton.[5] Smith's most notable moment in a Foxes shirt came on 23 March 1978, when he scored his only goal for the club in a 3–2 defeat to Manchester United.[6]

During the English off-season in the summer of 1978, Smith moved to the United States to join North American Soccer League club Houston Hurricane on loan.[2] He scored six goals in 17 appearances for the Hurricane in a disappointing 1978 season,[2] which saw the club finish bottom of the American Conference Central Division.

Smith made 10 appearances during the 1977–78 season, but departed Filbert Street in October 1978 after failing to make an appearance during the early months of the 1978–79 season.[3]

Brentford

Smith signed for Third Division club Brentford for a £20,000 fee in October 1978.[7] He made something of a breakthrough into the first team, making 26 appearances and scoring eight goals during the 1978–79 season.[8] Smith made a further 25 appearances during the 1979–80 season,[8] but the arrival of Fred Callaghan as manager changed the team's style of play and he drifted out of the first team picture.[7] Smith departed Brentford in February 1981, after being suspended by the club for a breach of discipline.[4] He made 61 appearances and scored 17 goals during his time at Griffin Park.[8]

Non-League football

After his departure from Brentford, Smith dropped into non-League football and played for Nuneaton Borough, Shepshed Charterhouse, Enderby Town, Hinckley Town, Corby Town, St Andrews and Oadby Town.[4]

Personal life

It was reported in September 2008 that Smith had suffered a stroke and was battling throat cancer.[9] He died on 17 April 2009 at the age of 50.[10]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Leicester City 1977–78[3] First Division 10 1 0 0 0 0 10 1
Houston Hurricane (loan) 1978[2] North American Soccer League 17 6 — — 17 6
Brentford 1978–79[8] Third Division 25 8 1 0 0 0 26 8
1979–80[8] 22 5 1 1 2 0 25 6
1980–81[8] 7 2 1 0 2 1 10 3
Total 54 15 3 1 4 1 61 17
Career total 81 22 3 1 4 1 88 24

References

  1. 1 2 "Dean Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Dean Smith". NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dean Smith – Leicester City career stats". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 291. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  5. ↑ "Leicester City 1–5 Everton played on 10.09.1977". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Leicester City 2–3 Manchester United played on 25.03.1978". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 147. ISBN 0955294916.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 395–396. ISBN 0951526200.
  9. ↑ "City news: Walsh supports ex-City striker". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Jack Hobbs, Leicester City, Premier League". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
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