Former Man Utd star opens up on controversial move to Old Trafford & his injury

A former Manchester United star has detailed his controversial arrival at the club and the injuries he sustained during his playing career that still plague him to this day.

Sir Alex Ferguson led United into an unprecedented era of Premier League dominance during the late 90s and early 00s.

Arriving at a dressing room full of big personalities for the most successful club in the country during that time would have been a daunting task for any player.

Couple that with being just 23, and having previously stated publicly that you would never play for the club, making an impression would have no doubt been no easy proposition.

But that is precisely the situation Alan Smith found himself in when Sir Alex brought the forward to Old Trafford in the summer of 2004 after Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.

Asked about his infamous comment, Smith revealed it was a product of his inexperience in football but insists he doesn't regret making it.

'I made that comment a good few years before leaving to join the club and I think it was naivety. When I said it, Leeds were flying and doing really well,' Smith told the Manchester Evening News.

'Football is just a dream when you grow up as a kid. I got into the first-team so young and Leeds were doing well, so I never expected such a fall from grace. The quote was probably naivety and wanting more love from the Leeds fans.

'You know the rivalry between the clubs is there. It was something I don't regret saying because I was so young.'

After arriving as a forward, Smith found himself struggling to find regular game time amidst the wealth of attacking options the club possessed at the time.

As a result, the England international began to be refashioned into a deep-lying midfielder, a