Huddersfield Town player recovered impressively from Leeds United nightmare: View

Alex Smithies had one of the worst full debuts in EFL history, leaving Huddersfield Town fans wondering if the shot-stopper would ever play again.

A travel to Elland Road for a Yorkshire derby is always a source of excitement and worry, but for a 17-year-old with no professional experience, it must have been extremely nerve-racking.

In December 2007, Leeds United defeated their local rivals 4-0, with Jermaine Beckford scoring twice and Jonathan Douglas and Tore Andre Flo scoring once each.

Despite a rocky start as a senior Terriers player, Smithies established himself as a trusted custodian at the John Smith’s Stadium. He made over 250 games for the team and earned League One promotion.

Alex Smithies’ disastrous debut sees Leeds United run rampant in the Yorkshire Derby

A week before the Elland Road disaster, Smithies would never have imagined being the first choice for the following weekend’s match against their local rivals, but a midweek trip to Southend altered everything.

Taking his normal seat on the bench at Roots Hall, the teenager was forced into action for the closing 15 minutes of the game in Essex after regular goalkeeper Matthew Glennon was sent off for a foul on Leon Clarke.

With the side already 2-1 down, the 17-year-old’s chances were low as he played his first minutes in the EFL, and he was barely given an opportunity as the Shrimpers scored two more goals before the game ended.

The full-back appears ready to return to Elland Road this summer.

That brief appearance paled in compared to what occurred three days later, with less than 72 hours to prepare for his maiden 90 minutes in goal for Huddersfield, and at their Yorkshire rivals’ home ground no less.

With emotion running high among both sets of fans, there can’t be many more intimidating venues to make your debut as a professional footballer, and Smithies felt the hosts’ anger from the first whistle at Elland Road.

Less than half an hour in, he was already plucking the ball out of his own goal, as Douglas’ 25-yard shot slid past him into the bottom corner, before Beckford scored his first soon after halftime.

The teenage shot-stopper did his best to stem the flow, but even when he did prevent David Prutton from scoring, Beckford was on hand to scoop up the rebound, with the youngster learning his profession in the most cruel of ways.

With barely any resistance from the defence in front of him, United were running riot on Smithies’ goal, and it was only a matter of time before a fourth was scored, which Flo duly took with minutes remaining to cap off a terrible day at work for Smithies and his teammates.

It would have been difficult for a young player to take such a battering in his first full-length games in the EFL, and it was no wonder that the shot-stopper was dropped from first-team action for the rest of the season, with his confidence likely shattered.

The atmosphere at Huddersfield was tense at the time, with Andy Ritchie being fired before Stan Ternent took over for a brief period, and Gerry Murphy attempting to sail the ship as caretaker while managers came and went.

Murphy offered Smithies his big shot in the following season, dropping Glennon for the inexperienced glovesman and sticking by the teenager as he piled up 28 games.

Over the next seven years, he made two centuries of appearances. However, because to injuries, he did not play a significant role in the two playoff campaigns in the third tier, but still showed up when it counted.

Smithies’ heroics secure Huddersfield Town Championship status following Sheffield United’s playoff victory.

Despite only making 15 appearances in the 2011/12 season after returning from injury in February, Town relied on Ian Bennett in goal for both ties against MK Dons. However, Bennett sustained an injury half an hour into the game.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Smithies seized the opportunity, keeping the visitors at bay to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and a clash with Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield United at Wembley.

Smithies was given the go once more, and Town’s tenacious defensive backline kept the Blades at bay once more, with the 120-minute stalemate decided by a penalty kick lottery.

In some ways, the 12-yard shootout is a no-lose situation for a custodian, but the Town custodian made it a can’t-lose situation by saving two spot-kicks before slamming in the winning effort to send his team into the Championship.

From Elland Road to Wembley, the penalty area commander had quite the turnaround, and he was rightfully the toast of the town after such an outstanding performance on the grandest platform.

Town struggled to avoid relegation after entering the second tier, finishing between 19th and 16th. Smithies played in all but three of those matches.

After a difficult start at Elland Road, he improved and became a reliable custodian for the Terriers. His achievements earned him a move to Queens Park Rangers for around £1.5 million.

Earning so much money from an academy graduate is always excellent business for any club, but it also demonstrated that Town made the right decision in keeping with their number one, despite his difficult start to life in the EFL.

After two seasons at QPR, Smithies moved onto Cardiff City, before going on to make 100 appearances for the Bluebirds in all competitions.

After struggling with injuries throughout his career, he retired from Leicester City in early 2024, having not played in over 18 months.

He will always be remembered warmly by Terriers fans, both heroic and stoic, and will have provided them with memories to last a lifetime at the Home of Football.

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