Martin Smith

Who is Martin Smith?

Martin Geoffrey Smith is a former professional footballer. In his professional career he played for Darlington, Northampton Town, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield United, Sunderland and Blyth Spartans.

At his first club, Sunderland, he was part of two Division One title winning teams which won promotion to the FA Premier League, and while he was at Sunderland he made his only appearance for the England under-21 side on 15 November 1994.

Many Northampton Town supporters regard Smith as one of the most technically gifted players ever to represent the club. He memorably scored the winner in a FA Cup 3rd Round replay away at Rotherham in January 2004 giving the Cobblers a 4th round tie at home to Manchester United.

Smith joined Darlington ahead of the 2006–07 season. Sunderland born Smith started his career on Wearside. Dubbed 'The Son of Pele' by Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme, he scored twenty-eight times in 107 starts for the North East giants in a seven-year spell, moving to Sheffield United, before joining Huddersfield Town.

Smith went on to score thirty goals in seventy-five starts, including seventeen during the 2002–03 season as the Terriers were relegated. He signed for Northampton Town from Huddersfield Town on 1 July 2003 after being chased for a few months by their then manager Martin Wilkinson. Smith started as a forward; however in recent seasons he has been used as a midfielder, continuing to regularly find the net for Northampton during their promotion from League Two during the 2005–06 season.