Ex-Man Utd and Leeds striker Alan Smith loses all feeling in toes for freak reason
Ex-Premier League striker Alan Smith suffered some big injuries during his 20-year professional playing career with one of those still impacting him to this day
Former Manchester United and Leeds star Alan Smith has revealed why he still has no feeling in three toes on his left foot. The ex-Premier League striker enjoyed a prolonged career with a total of 604 competitive appearances and 70 goals.
Alongside spells at Old Trafford, Elland Road and Newcastle United, Smith is rather unfortunately well known for suffering one of the worst injuries Sir Alex Ferguson has ever seen. In an FA Cup clash against Liverpool, Smith broke his leg when rushing to block a powerful John Arne Riise free-kick.
However, he has since revealed that he picked up an injury when playing for Newcastle that has resulted in worse consequences with him losing the feeling in three toes. The former England international, speaking via BritishGambler.co.uk said: "It actually wasn't that one with Riise that made the ankle as bad as it was, because when I played in the derby for Newcastle against Sunderland, that’s when I did it again.
"I just got a tackle, Kieran Richardson came in, it was a bad tackle, but it wasn't malicious. He just came in and caught me on my standing foot, on my standing leg, but it was my left.
"He literally just went high on my ankle, and my ankle inverted, so the opposite of what it should and it just went inwards. That was worse because I already had all my metal work in there.
"I went to James Calder at the Fortius Clinic in London about it, because he'd done a lot of my surgeries after, and he basically couldn't tell what was new damage and what was old damage, and that's when I lost all the nerve damage in my foot, because I can’t feel the last three toes on my left side, I can't feel them."
The 45-year-old discussed his leg break at Anfield from two decades ago and made it clear the injury was completely accidental. Smith said: "Yeah, you're probably right I would charge and block the Riise free-kick again.
"When you look back at it, you know lads who have played and all ‘f****** put their bodies through all sorted, and they've all got ailments and can't walk and can’t do that, but that's what we were, that's what you do!
"Everyone says this and that about Riise, and I'm like, ‘f****** hell, he didn't do anything wrong!’ It wasn't a bad tackle. It was just unfortunate. You block it, you land, it goes underneath you, whatever it is.
Despite such a big injury, Smith still plays casually and is also coaching in the United States. He has also kept active by taking up other sports.
"Yeah the body’s fine, because I don't really try and do anything to make it bad," he revealed when asked about his current state. "Cycling, swimming... I think the key is to just try and keep doing something.
"It's trying to find that balance of doing something that doesn't make my ankle really bad so I'm struggling to walk, but doing enough to get movement in it. So it's doing okay.
"It’s just not stressing it too much because it's the inflammation then obviously the next day. I've been doing red light therapy on my ankle quite a bit and that's been helping it because it takes the inflammation down a lot. Just in the mornings when I'm getting going that I struggle with the ankle."
On having pins in his ankle, he added: "Yeah, I've got them in my left side. My left side I've got the screws in. The same screws from the operation!
"Some people take them out, but I always remember when I went to United Quinton Fortune had them in his knee, and then Quinnie got advice that he should take them out, and I always remember he took them out and then a few months later he did his knee again.
"So I've always though I'd rather leave him in and be on safe side than try and take him out and then, God forbid, all that happens."
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