Alan Smith

Alan Smith transitioned from a prolific football striker for Arsenal and Leicester City to a respected sports commentator and pundit. After helping Leicester City achieve promotion to the First Division in 1983, Alan Smith quickly established himself as a prolific striker, scoring 13 goals in his debut season with the club. During his five years with Leicester, he played 217 games and netted 84 goals. In 1987, Smith transferred to Arsenal, where he showcased his talent with a hat-trick against Wimbledon in the opening fixture of the 1988/89 season.

Retiring from playing in 1995 after scoring 115 goals in 347 games for Arsenal and being the club’s top scorer for four consecutive years, Alan Smith seamlessly transitioned into sports media. He became a highly respected co-commentator and pundit for Sky Sports, covering prestigious events such as the 2011 Champions League Final. Smith also lent his voice to the popular EA Sports FIFA video game series, first appearing as a commentator in 2012 and going on to co-commentate on eight editions alongside Martin Tyler. Beyond his media work, Smith maintains an active role in youth football development as a Director at XL Academy, a private soccer school in the USA, where he is involved in coaching elite young players.