Former Leeds United striker Matt Smith has broken the 20-goal barrier for the first time in his career with the one-time Elland Road talisman proving that age is but a number at Salford City.
League Two is home to a number of 30-something centre-forwards these days. But while Charlie Austin at Swindon Town and Steven Fletcher at Wrexham are certainly doing their bit to show that there is life left in the old dogs, Matt Smith appears to be ageing in reverse.
Salford’s answer to Benjamin Button plundered two more typically predatory finishes during Saturday’s 5-3 thriller with Barrow.
Former Leeds and Fulham striker can’t stop scoring
Smith, who had spells at Leeds United, Fulham, QPR and Millwall as a younger man, may be 34 these days, his 35th birthday only a few months away. But the evergreen targetman is performing akin to something of a ‘League Two Lewandowski’ these days, defying Father Time every time he steps onto the pitch.
With 21 in the league and 22 in total, this is the first time in Smith’s career that he has ever broken the 20-goal barrier.
His previous best was 14, a tally he produced at Millwall in 2019/20. In 48 games for Leeds, meanwhile, the one-time Oldham Athletic ace – who famously knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup while representing The Latics – netted only 13 times.
Smith the giant giant-killer
“If I was managing somewhere else and had the resources to bring him in, I’d look to do it,” Salford boss Karl Robinson beamed a couple of weeks ago, Smith now just one goal behind Notts County marksman Macauley Langstaff in the Golden Boot standings (Salford Now).
One of Smith’s 22 goals this season came, of course, against Leeds back in August.
Smith helped put his old employers out of the EFL Cup, the second time the 6ft 6ins colossus had played a major role in a giantkilling ten years after his iconic brace sent a Liverpool side fielding Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Luis Suarez packing.
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