Steven Smith

[ian1964 10,447]

This was the story of a rekindled love affair, hidden away inside a football match. It unfolded in front of 50,000 engrossed spectators and featured Steven Smith as the protagonist of the piece.

 

An appreciation of the back story is vital. Smith had risen through the ranks at Rangers to become a first-team regular under Alex McLeish by the time he was 20. Despite his youth, he was spoken of as a future Scotland cap and had many anticipating that he and Alan Hutton would become established as Rangers' first-choice full-backs for a decade or more.

 

Alas for Smith, injuries would curtail that progress. Pelvic and groin problems that had troubled him in his youth returned. He turned out for Paul Le Guen in an Old Firm match in December 2006 and was barely seen or heard of again.

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The injuries subsided and he was able to play in two Scottish Cup ties last season before disappearing into the background again. This season, fit again after recovering from an ankle knock, he has been simply unable to get into the team.

 

Reluctantly, he agreed to move on from Rangers. A loan deal to St Mirren was agreed in January only for red tape to block the move. Smith, now 23, resigned himself to his fate, training every day knowing there was little chance of him featuring come the weekend.

 

He gave up on ever playing for Rangers again. A mounting injury crisis, though, was to hand him an unexpected reprieve. Saturday marked his first league start for 28 months, in left midfield no less, and he responded with the sort of energetic, wholehearted performance that had helped forge his reputation all those years ago.

 

Little surprise, then, that he seemed a little dazed but delighted as he mulled over a tumultuous few days.

 

"It has been a long time, and difficult as well with injuries and then coming back but not playing," he said. "I never thought I would get the chance to play for Rangers again, to be honest with you, but a lot of the boys are injured and that was what it was going to take for me to get my chance. Hopefully I did well enough to get another one."

 

Smith, an amiable if somewhat private man, did not even notify close family or friends that he would be playing for fear of creating too much of a distraction.

 

"I wasn't really nervous," he added. "I never thought about it too much. If I had it might have hindered my performance. I just put my boots on and went out to play football. That's what I wanted to do. I never even told my family I was playing. I just wanted to go out there and let everybody know that I was back."

 

Even when fit, there had seemed no way back for Smith. He stopped travelling to the matches, preferring to sit at home and watch the results come in from all across the country. Only the joy of looking after Ashton, his seven month-old son, preserved his sanity.

 

He said: "It's hard training Monday to Friday and not getting a game at the end of the week. Playing with the reserves on a Tuesday, you don't prepare mentally the same. You try, but it's not the same as running out there in front of 50,000 every week. It's strange - you get used to not playing and not being involved. It's even harder when there's a squad of 26 going to games and you aren't there.

 

"I didn't come to the games. I sat and watched Soccer Saturday on Sky, watched the scores coming in, and checked my coupon. I've got a wee baby now and when I got home after training on the Friday and I wasn't going to be involved at the weekend, I would go up and see him and it would take my mind off football. Maybe that was a good thing for me, getting away from football and getting my desire back."

 

Smith was certain that he would be moving on in the summer. He recently played in a charity match for Cardiff City, alongside former Rangers team-mates Gavin Rae and Chris Burke, and a permanent transfer to the Championship side had been mooted. Should the door now be ajar for him to reignite his Rangers career, however, the player will be more than happy to stay put.

 

"If I keep playing here then Cardiff doesn't come into the question, because this is the only place where I want to play," he said. "But if I'm not playing football then I'd need to move. I've got another year left on my contract. I still want to be a Rangers player and I've always wanted to play here. Hopefully, I'm back in the manager's thoughts and I've proved to him I can play at this level again.

 

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2501515.0.Heartrending_Smith_saga_features_a_twist_in_the_tail.php

[Guest Jum Spence]

Rangers defender Stevie Smith hopes his surprise recall can win him a few more appearances before the season's end.

 

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[Super_Ally 0]

I'd keep him if it was me and look to get him fit, match sharp and pushing for first choice.

 

In this time of financial turmoil for the club surely this would be the cheaper choice too?

[Whosthedado 1,519]

I would definitely keep him. Next season SS could play Left back and play Papac in the middle beside Bhougerra maybe:cheers: