Former Rangers 'keeper eager to impress on Leeside

21-year-old goalkeeper Alan Smith has taken unorthodox steps in his fledgling career, but a return to Leeside is his latest challenge. ExtraTime.ie caught up with Alan, to discuss his experiences and thoughts on Cork City.  

Like most Cobh football-mad youngsters, Alan joined local underage club Springfield Ramblers. Early potential saw him picked for the Cork Schoolboys League side, playing in the Kennedy Cup.

Alan recalls how he started goalkeeping: “I was thrown in goal one day and ended up playing well. I was told to stay there.”

Dublin boasted the strongest underage outfits and, before a SFAI rule which doesn’t allow players to sign for teams a long distance from their homes was implemented, Crumlin United poached him.   

“We’d go up Friday afternoon, train on the Saturday and play on a Sunday. There were a couple of times I’d struggle to get up for school on a Monday morning. We’d only gotten a new car at the time and it became very worn … It definitely got through a lot of miles, tyres and diesel.”

Alan’s displays for Crumlin United merited selection for Sean McCafferty’s Irish under-15s. He represented national teams up to under-19 level, playing alongside Anton Rodgers (son of Liverpool manager, Brendan) and Watford’s Sean Murray. Under Paul Doolin, they almost qualified for the 2012 U19’s European Championship.

“We were very unlucky that year, coming through a very tough first group ... We had Bulgaria, Bosnia (-Herzegovina) and Russia.”

Competing in the Milk Cup for Crumlin United, Alan was spotted by Glasgow Rangers. Following three trials (a positive first, the second curtailed by food poisoning and Glasgow Celtic’s last-minute interest), he signed in July 2010. The young goalie became only the fifth Irish-born player to do so. Were there any doubts?

“A little bit. I got stick from my friends and remember thinking to myself ‘Is this a good idea?’ I don’t have an Irish name and think it fooled people at the start.”   

Alan endured a difficult first year in Glasgow: “At the end of August, my grandfather took a turn. He was sick well before I left (Ireland), but I wasn’t told because I think that my mum and dad thought if I knew, I wouldn’t have left and wanted to stay ... Which I probably would have.” He then injured an ankle on a team trip to Turkey, resulting in four months’ rehabilitation.

During 2011/2012, Alan enjoyed weekly appearances between the posts: “A really good year for me, which I needed after the first … to prove why they signed me, but at the end of that season I started to get pains in my knee. I had to have an operation and that kept me out for ten months.”

Surgery scheduled for June 2012, but delayed until August, effectively meant the 2012/2013 season was a write-off. This was the same period Rangers were demoted to Scottish football’s Division Three after entering into administration.

“At the start, people were very worried for their jobs. In the academy, we weren’t really involved in how the players had to take wage cuts. The second year in administration, things got a little bit tighter, but it was still very good.”

2013/2014 was to be Alan’s final season at Murray Park: “The last year I was unsure. They brought in Cammy Bell, and Steve Simonsen was still there. There was another goalie, Scott Gallagher. Me and him were fighting to play in the reserves. I played about eight games up until November … I didn’t play anymore after that.”

A rarity for a Republic of Ireland international in Rangers’ employment, but Smith wasn’t the only one during his spell in Glasgow, as under-17s coach Alan Kernaghan and first team striker Jon Daly were also present.

“The year we went to Turkey, Kerny came with us and was playing centre-half. He was there with the shorts and the top off, getting stuck into 50-50 challenges. If everything had worked out, he probably would’ve made his way up there (as first team manager). The best thing about Kerny was you’d hear him before you see him. A great character.”

It would appear that Rangers is a worthy destination for any aspiring young Irish footballer: “As a club, yeah definitely, but in Scotland it’s different. There’s no scholarship, it’s a professional contract straight away. It’s not just Scotland, but I think some players aren’t helped as much as they should be. It’s very easy to get lost (without a proper education). I’ve done SFA qualifications, but if I was to do it again, I’d probably stay (in Ireland) and do the education side first.”

A few weeks after returning home, Cork City manager John Caulfield invited Alan to train with his squad, signing him for the current season as competition for Mark McNulty.

“Just my luck, I end up at the one club with probably the best goalkeeper in the league. I may have to sit on the bench for 20 games before I get one game, but then it’s up to me to establish myself in that game.”

Alan’s first start for Cork City came during a pre-season friendly against Cobh Ramblers. A confidence-building clean sheet, but a head injury saw him have to sit out the Munster Senior Cup semi-final loss to Limerick FC.

“My first full game in about 14 months, 80-odd minutes and then I got the cuckoo knocked out of me. That’s just my luck.”

So what does Cork City’s 2015 title push and the future hold for Smith?

“Obviously, last season they came very close, so this year we want to win it. I definitely think the team is stronger.”

“First and foremost, I just want to play games, consistently at a competitive level. As long as you’re out there and playing, there’s always a chance. If not, then I’ll go down another route.”

Only time will tell.