Young lion tamed but threatening

Alan Smith, the bullish Leeds United AFC striker, views the UEFA Under-21 European Championship as the chance to further his claims for the England senior team and also to shake off the accusation that he is a young man forever in pursuit of the next argument.

Star striker
He is the first to admit he has succumbed to disciplinary problems but it is a tribute to the strides he has made as a player that supporters are now far more ready to talk about his striking prowess than his aggressive tendencies. It is expected that once the FIFA World Cup 2002 is over and attention turns to EURO 2004™ Smith will start to become a familiar face around Sven-Göran Eriksson's senior squad.

Fantastic tournament
But first things first and that means young England's quest for success at the two-week tournament that starts in Switzerland on Thursday. "The European Championship is going to be a fantastic competition and it is always a great honour to represent your country" said Smith. "We'll be trying our hardest to make a big impact in Switzerland but we know it will be hard with Italy and Portugal in the group."

Central role
It seems likely that those teams - as well as the host nation who complete the Group 1 quartet - will face Smith in his accustomed role as a central striker. Yet for much of the second half of the FA Premiership season, as Leeds accommodated the former Liverpool FC goalscorer Robbie Fowler, Smith has demonstrated his versatility by playing in a right-sided midfield berth.

Improved game
The way the 21-year-old performed there earned praise from manager David O'Leary and team-mates alike and he says the adjustment has helped improve his all-round game. "There was a game recently when I was out wide and because I had played as a striker I knew exactly where Robbie [Fowler] would want the ball delivered and luckily that enabled me to lay on a goal for him. Playing in midfield has also helped to improve my tackling. I know I can't just dive in and commit myself because that then leaves the defenders exposed behind me. Every year you improve and everything in life is about developing. I'm developing as a footballer and as a person as well, and hopefully playing well for Leeds can help me improve further."

Dramatic debut
A boyhood Leeds fan, Smith has been assessed as star material ever since he exploded into the Elland Road team when, just three weeks after his 18th birthday, he scored with his first touch in senior football to level the scores in a game away to Liverpool FC that Leeds went on to win 3 -1. He is no respecter of reputations and enjoyed a magnificent 2000/01 season at the highest level of club football, scoring seven times in Leeds' remarkable run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Senior service
A sending-off against Finland early in the qualifying campaign restricted Smith's contribution to the England U-21 cause, and, as invitations followed to link up with the senior squad, there was more reason to think his focus this summer would be on Korea/Japan rather than Switzerland.

Disciplinary improvement
With two more red cards for Leeds this season he concedes the issue over his disciplinary problems have contributed to him missing out on the FIFA World Cup. However he completed the last ten games of the season without picking up a single yellow card and says his club's initiative in having regular visits from former referee Steve Lodge has helped give him a better understanding of those areas, like tackling, which are likely to lure him towards trouble.