Dean Smith (footballer, born 1971)

Dean Smith (born 19 March 1971) is an English professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Leicester City.

For the Leicester City and Brentford player, see Dean Smith (footballer, born 1958).

Dean Smith
Smith in 2011
Personal information
Full name Dean Smith[1]
Date of birth (1971-03-19) 19 March 1971
Place of birth West Bromwich, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1994 Walsall 142 (2)
1994–1997 Hereford United 117 (19)
1997–2003 Leyton Orient 239 (32)
2003–2004 Sheffield Wednesday 55 (1)
2004–2005 Port Vale 13 (0)
Total 566 (54)
Managerial career
2011–2015 Walsall
2015–2018 Brentford
2018–2021 Aston Villa
2021–2022 Norwich City
2023 Leicester City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Smith began his playing career as a defender with Walsall in 1989, where over the course of five years he played 166 league and cup games. After signing for Hereford United in 1994, three years and 146 appearances later he moved on to Leyton Orient. In six years with Orient he made 309 appearances in all competitions, before earning a move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2003. After a season with Wednesday he moved on to Port Vale, retiring in January 2005. He scored 54 goals in 566 league games in a 16-year career in the Football League.

Returning to Leyton Orient, he worked as assistant manager until January 2009. In July 2009, he was appointed as Head of Youth at Walsall, before taking over as manager in January 2011. He took Walsall from the relegation zone to safety in his first four months in charge. He took Walsall to the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy, before leaving the club to manage Brentford in November 2015. Smith was appointed as Aston Villa manager in October 2018 and took the club from 15th in the Championship to the Premier League via the play-offs in the 2018–19 season, and then to the 2020 EFL Cup final. He was dismissed by Aston Villa in November 2021 and soon after joined Norwich City for a thirteen month spell in charge. He was appointed as Leicester City manager on a short-term basis in April 2023.

Playing career

Walsall

Smith started his playing career at Walsall, as the club suffered relegation from the Third Division in 1989–90 under John Barnwell's stewardship. They then struggled to adapt to life in the Fourth Division under new manager Kenny Hibbitt, finishing 16th in 1990–91 and 15th in 1991–92. The Saddlers qualified for the play-offs with a fifth-place finish in 1992–93, but were badly beaten by Crewe Alexandra at the semi-final stage. Walsall finished tenth in 1993–94, and Smith left the club, having played a total of 166 games for the Saddlers, scoring two goals.

Hereford United

In summer 1994, Smith was sold to Hereford United for £80,000, a club record fee for the "Bulls". They finished 16th in the Third Division in 1994–95 under John Layton. Smith was Graham Turner's captain at Edgar Street during the club's rise to the Third Division play-offs in 1995–96, where they were beaten by 4–2 Darlington at the semi-final stage, despite Smith opening the scoring just two minutes into the first leg.

Hereford were relegated from the English Football League after finishing in last place in 1996–97; they had been level on points with Brighton & Hove and with a superior goal difference, however goals scored was the decider and Brighton scored three more than Hereford over the course of the campaign. Smith scored 26 goals in 146 appearances in all competitions during his time at Edgar Street.

Leyton Orient

Smith signed with Tommy Taylor's Leyton Orient in August 1997, with a tribunal setting the fee at £42,500. He scored ten goals in 51 games in 1997–98; Orient would have finished one point outside the Third Division play-offs had they not been deducted three points. He captained Orient to the play-offs in 1998–99, and converted a penalty in the shoot-out victory over Rotherham United at the semi-final stage. However his team were beaten 1–0 by Scunthorpe United in the Wembley final.[3] Over the course of the campaign he scored ten goals in 49 appearances.

Orient then struggled in 1999–2000, finishing in the bottom half of the table. Smith was again a key player, scoring six goals in 50 appearances. Following a fifth-place finish in 2000–01, he again captained the "O's" to the play-off final in 2001, this time at the Millennium Stadium. Despite twice taking the lead against Blackpool, they lost the match 4–2.[4] Over the course of the season he scored five goals in 54 games.

He scored four goals in 51 games in 2001–02, but Paul Brush's team struggled and finished in mid-table, closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs, though they were 16 points above the drop. Smith continued to feature heavily in the 2002–03 campaign, though he left the club in mid-season. He had played 309 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 43 goals.

Sheffield Wednesday

He joined First Division side Sheffield Wednesday in February 2003, then managed by Chris Turner. The "Owls" were relegated at the end of the season, having finished in 22nd place, four points below Stoke City. He was appointed club captain in the summer,[5] however Wednesday struggled in the Second Division and finished just three points above relegated Grimsby Town. Smith played 48 games in 2003–04, scoring one goal. The club then had a clear out of personnel, and Smith was one of 13 players to depart Hillsborough.[6] He had scored one goal in 62 appearances for Wednesday.

Port Vale

In July 2004, he signed for Martin Foyle's Port Vale.[7] He played 13 League One games and two cup games for the "Valiants" in 2004–05, before he ended his playing days in January 2005 when he left Vale Park to become youth team coach at his old club Leyton Orient.

Managerial career

After working as a youth coach at Leyton Orient from January 2005, Smith was promoted to the role of assistant manager toward the end of the 2004–05 season.[8] He attained his UEFA Pro Licence in 2008, alongside classmates such as Roy Keane, Brendan Rodgers, and Ian McParland.[9] After a poor run of form, Smith left Orient in January 2009, along with long serving manager Martin Ling.[10]

Walsall

In July 2009, Smith returned to his first club, Walsall, in the role of Head of Youth.[11]

Smith was appointed caretaker manager of Walsall on 4 January 2011, following the dismissal of Chris Hutchings. Seventeen days later he was announced as permanent manager of the club until the end of the season.[12] Taking over managerial duties with his side nine points adrift at the foot of League One, Smith managed to steer Walsall out of the drop zone before the season's end.[13] On 29 January, the "Saddlers" recorded their best league result since 1986 by beating Bristol Rovers 6–1, in what was Smith's first win in charge; the three points also took Walsall off the foot of the table, though they were still seven points short of safety.[14] His team made up the difference over February, and a 1–0 win over promotion-chasing Southampton on 1 March saw Walsall climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since October.[15] They ended the season one point clear of Dagenham & Redbridge in the drop zone.

He let fourteen players go in summer 2011, including: Darren Byfield, Jonny Brain, Clayton McDonald, Paul Marshall, Matt Richards, Steve Jones, Aaron Lescott, David Bevan, Julian Gray, and Tom Williams. He then signed goalkeeper Dávid Gróf; defenders Mat Sadler and Lee Beevers;[16] midfielders Kevan Hurst,[17] Claude Gnakpa,[18] Adam Chambers, and Anton Peterlin;[19] and striker Ryan Jarvis.[20] Also during the campaign he boosted his squad with loan signings Dave Martin,[21] Mark Wilson, Andy Halliday, and Florent Cuvelier.[22] His side lost just one of their first five league games, but then picked up just three points from their next seven games. They beat Preston North End on 15 October, but then picked up just four points from their next eight games. From 26 November, they were beaten just once in nine matches, but became the division's draw specialists as seven of these nine games finished level. They finished the campaign in 19th place, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

In summer 2012, he offered professional contracts to youth team players Mal Benning, Ben George, Aaron Williams and Kieron Morris.[23] He continued to add promising young players by bringing in 21-year-old winger Ashley Hemmings, 19-year-old former loanee Florent Cuvelier, 19-year-old winger James Baxendale, 20-year-old defender Paul Downing, 19-year-old striker Connor Taylor, 23-year-old striker Febian Brandy, in addition to 32-year-old right-back Dean Holden.[24][25][26][27][28] He also brought in full-back James Chambers, twin brother of Adam Chambers.[29] He also brought in a number of players on loan, including: Karl Darlow (21), Sam Mantom (20), Aaron McCarey (20), and Craig Westcarr (27).[30][31][32][33] Mantom was made into a permanent signing in January.[34] Smith signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract in October, keeping him at the club until summer 2015.[35] This came after the club announced a £10,000 profit on the previous campaign as Smith's 'Total Football' approach yielded a mid-table position for the young Walsall team, in addition to praise from pundits and fans.[36][37][38] A poor run of results saw the team slip to just above the relegation zone in mid-December.[39] Walsall recovered to win four of their five games in January, as Smith was named as Manager of the Month.[40] They ended the season in ninth place, six points outside the play-offs.

During a fine start to the 2013–14 season, Smith, affectionately nicknamed "Ginger Mourinho" by the Walsall fans, took the club to an unlikely promotion push.[41] He masterminded a win at Molineux against Black Country derby rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and also ended winning streaks by table-toppers Leyton Orient and Brentford.[42][43][44] The club could not sustain their promotion push however, and ended the campaign in 13th place. Smith released top-scorer Craig Westcarr at the end of the season, along with Troy Hewitt, Nicky Featherstone, James McQuilkin, and Shane Lewis.[45]

He took Walsall to the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy, a 2–0 defeat to Bristol City, which was Walsall's first appearance at Wembley Stadium.[46] At the end of the 2014–15 season he largely kept his squad together, the most high-profile player to be released being Ben Purkiss.[47] He was given a Special Achievement Award by the League Managers Association (LMA).[48]

Walsall started the 2015–16 season well, with Smith being named as League One Manager of the Month for August 2015 as the club ended the month at the top of the table.[49] Walsall rejected an approach for Smith from Rotherham United in October, describing him as "fundamental to our future plans".[50] Smith signed a new 12-month rolling contract on 16 October.[51] He was named as Football League manager of the week after his side came from two goals down to beat Gillingham 3–2 on 24 October.[52] However six weeks after signing his new contract he left Walsall for Brentford with the "Saddlers" fourth in the table; at the time of his departure he was the fourth longest serving manager in the Football League.[53]

Brentford

Smith was appointed manager of Championship club Brentford on 30 November 2015.[54] Brentford finished the 2015–16 season in ninth place, during which time Smith sold Toumani Diagouraga and James Tarkowski for a combined £3.6 million.[55] In building for the 2016–17 season Smith signed 18 players, including Romaine Sawyers (free transfer) and Rico Henry (£1.5 million) from previous club Walsall.[56] The "Bees" finished the season in tenth place, and Smith said he wanted to bring in more players in order to push for the play-offs the following season.[57] He signed a new one-year contract extension in February 2018.[58] Brentford finished the 2017–18 season in ninth-place and were "widely regarded as the Championship's entertainers" after Smith built an attractive passing style of play on a shoestring budget.[59]

Aston Villa

On 10 October 2018, Smith was appointed manager of 15th-placed Championship club Aston Villa, with John Terry as his assistant coach.[60][61] He was named as the EFL's manager of the week after overseeing a 3–0 win at Derby County on 10 November.[62] He immediately managed to reinvigorate the Villa attack, and only a controversial injury-time equaliser from local rivals West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns kept them from a place in the top 6 by 7 December.[63][64] Villa's form dipped dramatically in the three months after Jack Grealish was sidelined with a shin injury picked up in that match, but on 2 March, Smith gave Grealish the captaincy on his return to the first-team and the 23-year old inspired an important 4–0 victory over play-off rivals Derby County.[65] Smith was given that month's Championship Manager of the Month award after achieving five wins in five games, including a victory over Second City derby rivals Birmingham City.[66] On 22 April 2019, Smith led Aston Villa to break an 109 year old club record for longest winning run after defeating Millwall 1–0 at Villa Park to make it 10 successive victories in 10 matches. The record had previously been held at nine straight wins.[67] On 11 May, Smith oversaw his 18th win with Aston Villa as they came from behind to beat West Brom 2–1 in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals.[68] Three days later, Villa came from behind at West Brom to win on penalties and secure a place in the play-off final.[69] Villa went on to win promotion to the Premier League with a 2–1 victory over Derby County.[70]

The club spent a net total of £144.5 million to bring in 12 players in the summer 2019 transfer window: Jota, Anwar El Ghazi, Wesley, Kortney Hause, Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Björn Engels, Trézéguet, Douglas Luiz, Tom Heaton and Marvelous Nakamba.[71] On 29 November 2019, midway through his first Premier League season with Aston Villa, Smith signed a contract extension lasting until 2023.[72] In the EFL Cup, Villa advanced past Crewe Alexandra of League Two and four Premier League sides in Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool and Leicester City to reach the final at Wembley Stadium; they lost the final 2–1 to Manchester City.[73] In the league though, Villa were four points deep inside the relegation zone with four games left to play of the 2019–20 season, but pulled off what he called a "magnificent achievement" to clinch survival on the last day with a 1–1 draw at West Ham United.[74][75] He elaborated by saying "I thought we used the pandemic really well. We've been solid defensively, we have looked strong and managed to stay in the Premier League."[76]

Smith strengthened the squad in summer 2020 by signing Matty Cash (£14 million from Nottingham Forest), Ollie Watkins (£28 million from Brentford), Emiliano Martínez (£17 million from Arsenal), Bertrand Traoré (£17 million from Lyon) and Ross Barkley (season long-loan from Chelsea).[77][78][79][80] On 4 October, in the third game of the 2020–21 season, Smith led Aston Villa to a 7–2 home win over Premier League champions Liverpool; this was the first time a team had scored seven goals past the top-flight champions in 67 years.[81] A win against Leicester City then gave Villa their best start to a season since 1930.[82] On 26 December, Smith oversaw his century of competitive games as manager of Aston Villa with a 3–0 victory over Crystal Palace despite his team being reduced to ten men for the majority of the game due to Tyrone Mings' first half dismissal.[83] Smith was named as Premier League Manager of the Month for December as Villa conceded just one goal in their five league games.[84] He made one signing in the January transfer window: midfielder Morgan Sanson from Marseille for £14 million.[85] Aston Villa ended the campaign in 11th-place and Smith was keen to strengthen the squad further.[86]

In preparation for the English record transfer of Jack Grealish to Manchester City, a deal worth £100 million,[87] Smith brought in summer signings Emiliano Buendía, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings for a total fee of £83 million.[88][89][90] The club also signed former player Ashley Young on a free transfer from Inter Milan,[91] and for the third time signed Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe on loan.[92] On 7 November 2021, Smith and Aston Villa parted company after a run of five straight defeats in the Premier League. Chief Executive Christian Purslow stated that the decision was made after Aston Villa had not continued to improve in the 2021–22 season as they had done in previous years.[93]

Norwich City

On 15 November 2021, Smith signed a two-and-a-half year deal to become the new Norwich City head coach, replacing the outgoing Daniel Farke.[94] He won his first game in charge, a 2–1 victory over Southampton. The game made him the first manager to take charge of successive Premier League matches against the same opponent.[95] Norwich climbed out of the relegation zone on 21 January with a 3–0 win at Watford, having beaten Everton at Carrow Road six days previously.[96] However the "Canaries" went on to win just one more Premier League game and were relegated in last place at the end of the 2021–22 season, though relegation was actually confirmed with four games left to play.[97] On 27 December 2022, Smith was sacked as Norwich City head coach after a run of just three wins in thirteen Championship matches saw the club fall from first in October to fifth in the table and twelve points off the top two; sporting director Stuart Webber said the decision was taken in order to "give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League this season", whilst pundits also criticised Smith for his style of play.[98][99]

Leicester City

On 10 April 2023, Smith was appointed as manager of Leicester City until the end of the 2022–23 season, with the club second-bottom of the Premier League with eight games left to play; Craig Shakespeare and John Terry joined his coaching staff as assistant managers.[100] He secured nine points from his games in charge, which were ultimately not enough to keep the team in the league, with the club's relegation confirmed on the final day of the season.[101] Smith left the club on 16 June.[102]

Personal life

Dean Smith's father, Ron, was an Aston Villa supporter, and a steward at Villa Park. Towards the end of his life, Ron Smith suffered from dementia and was not aware that his son had become Aston Villa manager.[103] On the eve of the 2019 play-off final, Dean Smith visited his father and told him "The next time I see you, I'll be a Premier League manager."[104] Ron Smith died on 27 May 2020.[105]

When Villa won the 1982 European Cup Final, eleven-year old Dean was neighbour to Villa player Pat Heard. Smith was not allowed to go to the final but Heard made sure that the young boy was on the team bus as it paraded the trophy through Birmingham. When appointed manager, Smith picked out Heard as an inspiration.[106][107]

Smith is married, and has two children - a son, Jamie, and daughter.[108] Speaking in December 2019, he said that his family, coupled with his experiencing playing and managing in the lower leagues, have helped him to stay grounded and deal with the perceived pressure of managing a Premier League team.[109] He is a keen chess player and was a West Midlands school chess champion as a child.[110]

Career statistics

Playing statistics

Source:[111]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Walsall 1988–89 Second Division 1500000150
1989–90 Third Division 70100080
1990–91 Fourth Division 3302050400
1991–92 Fourth Division 900020110
1992–93 Third Division 4210090511
1993–94 Third Division 3611040411
Total 1422402001662
Hereford United 1994–95 Third Division 3532081454
1995–96 Third Division 40840945312
1996–97 Third Division 42810524810
Total 117197022714626
Leyton Orient 1997–98 Third Division 43921605110
1998–99 Third Division 37951704910
1999–2000 Third Division 4442140505
2000–01 Third Division 4354070545
2001–02 Third Division 4524121514
2002–03 Third Division 2732040333
Total 2393219430128837
Sheffield Wednesday 2002–03 First Division 1400000140
2003–04 Second Division 4112050481
Total 5512050621
Port Vale 2004–05 League One 1300021151
Career total 5665432479967767

Managerial statistics
As of match played 28 May 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
PWDLWin %
Walsall 4 January 2011 30 November 2015 260 84 96 80 032.31 [112]
Brentford 30 November 2015 10 October 2018 143 57 35 51 039.86 [112]
Aston Villa 10 October 2018 7 November 2021 139 55 28 56 039.57 [112]
Norwich City 15 November 2021 27 December 2022 56 16 12 28 028.57 [112]
Leicester City 10 April 2023 16 June 2023 8 2 3 3 025.00 [112]
Total 605 213 174 218 035.21

Managerial honours

Walsall

Aston Villa

Individual

References
  1. "Dean Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. "FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2004/05". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. "Sport: Football Garcia strike takes Iron up". BBC Sport. 29 May 1999. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  4. "Blackpool pip Orient to promotion". BBC Sport. 26 May 2001. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  5. "Smith to captain Owls". BBC Sport. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  6. "Owls boss wields the axe". BBC Sport. 13 May 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  7. "Vale switch for Smith". BBC Sport. 5 July 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  8. "Management duo sign O's contracts". BBC Sport. 29 June 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  9. "The Class of 2008". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  10. "Leyton Orient manager Ling leaves". BBC Sport. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  11. "Hutchings Delighted with Latest Appointment". Walsall F.C. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  12. "Dean Smith gets Walsall job until end of season". BBC Sport. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  13. "Southampton 3 – 1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  14. "Walsall 6 – 1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  15. "Walsall 1 – 0 Southampton". BBC Sport. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  16. "Walsall sign ex-Colchester United defender Lee Beevers". BBC Sport. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  17. "Walsall bring in winger Kevan Hurst". BBC Sport. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  18. "Walsall add former Luton winger Claude Gnakpa to squad". BBC Sport. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  19. "Walsall sign Anton Peterlin on a one-year contract". BBC Sport. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  20. "Walsall agree deal for striker Ryan Jarvis". BBC Sport. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  21. "Martin Makes Saddlers Switch". Derby County F.C. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  22. "Walsall sign Florent Cuvelier from Stoke City on loan". BBC Sport. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  23. "Jamie Tank signs for Wolves as Walsall sign four on pro contracts". BBC Sport. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  24. "Walsall sign winger Ashley Hemmings after Wolves departure". BBC Sport. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  25. "Florent Cuvelier and Dean Holden join Walsall". BBC Sport. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  26. "Striker Febian Brandy joins League One side Walsall". BBC Sport. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  27. "Paul Downing & Connor Taylor sign one-year deals for Walsall". BBC Sport. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  28. "James Baxendale joins Walsall after Doncaster Rovers release". 2 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  29. "James Chambers joins twin brother Adam at Walsall". BBC Sport. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  30. "Walsall sign Karl Darlow on loan from Nottingham Forest". BBC Sport. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  31. "West Brom loan Sam Mantom back to neighbours Walsall". BBC Sport. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  32. "Wolves loan Aaron McCarey to Walsall for a month". BBC Sport. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  33. "Walsall: Chesterfield's Craig Westcarr signs on loan". BBC Sport. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  34. "Sam Mantom: Walsall sign West Bromwich Albion midfielder". BBC Sport. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  35. "Walsall boss Dean Smith signs contract extension". BBC Sport. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  36. "Walsall on the up at Bescot as they announce £10,000 profit". BBC Sport. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  37. Scott, Ged (16 October 2012). "Walsall's tasty football reminds Butler of being on the Adkins diet". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  38. Fletcher, Paul (19 October 2012). "Walsall's youthful football winning fans and awards". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  39. "Walsall: Dean Smith focused on long-term goals". BBC Sport. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  40. "Dean Smith: Walsall boss says manager award is for everyone". BBC Sport. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  41. Scott, Ged (24 October 2013). "Are Dean Smith's soaring Saddlers good enough to go up?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  42. Scott, Ged (17 September 2013). "Wolves 0 – 1 Walsall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  43. "Leyton Orient 1 – 1 Walsall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  44. "Walsall 1 – 1 Brentford". BBC Sport. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  45. "Craig Westcarr: Walsall release top scorer in eight-man clear-out". BBC Sport. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  46. Chapman, Caroline (22 March 2015). "Bristol City 2 – 0 Walsall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  47. "Walsall FC: No need to re-lay the foundations". Express & Star. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  48. "Walsall's Dean Smith gets special LMA award". Express and Star. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  49. "Dean Smith named Manager of the Month". Express & Star. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  50. "Dean Smith: Walsall turn down Rotherham approach for manager". BBC Sport. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  51. "Dean Smith: Walsall manager signs new 12-month rolling deal". BBC Sport. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  52. Butcher, Alex (2 November 2015). "Sky Bet Football League Team of the Week". www.efl.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  53. "'Disappointed and shocked': Fans react as Dean Smith leaves Walsall FC". Express & Star. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  54. "Dean Smith leaves Walsall to take Brentford job". BBC Sport. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  55. Moore, Tom (11 March 2016). "Dean Smith critics need to look at the wider issues behind Brentford's struggles since the start of 2016". Get west London. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  56. "Rico Henry joins on a five-year deal from Walsall". Brentford F.C. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  57. "Dean Smith: Brentford need more players to break into the top six next season". BBC Sport. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  58. "Dean Smith: Brentford head coach and assistants extend deals". BBC Sport. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  59. Dicken, Alex (13 May 2018). "If West Brom don't appoint Darren Moore – this man is the answer". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  60. "Aston Villa appoint Dean Smith as new manager and John Terry as Assistant Coach | I Am Birmingham". I Am Birmingham. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  61. James, Stuart (10 October 2018). "Dean Smith appointed Aston Villa manager with John Terry as assistant". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  62. "Matchday 17: Team of the Week". www.efl.com. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  63. Scott, Ged (7 December 2018). "West Brom 2-2 Aston Villa: Jay Rodriguez earns Baggies stoppage-time draw". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  64. Mir, Amir (11 December 2018). "Tactical analysis: Dean Smith at Aston Villa in the Championship". Total Football Analysis Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  65. Connor, Dan (4 March 2019). "Dean Smith: The moment I told Jack Grealish he was captain". www.avfc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  66. "Sky Bet Championship: Manager and Player of the Month winners". www.efl.com. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  67. "Villa break club record with Millwall win". www.BBC.co.uk. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  68. "Villa fight back to take edge over West Brom". BBC Sport. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  69. "Villa reach playoff final". BBC Sport. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  70. Woodcock, Ian (27 May 2019). "Championship play-off final: Aston Villa 2-1 Derby County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  71. smith, Adam (21 April 2020). "How much did Premier League clubs spend on transfers in summer window?". SkySports. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  72. "Dean Smith signs new contract". Aston Villa Official. 29 November 2019.
  73. McNulty, Phil (1 March 2020). "Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City: Sergio Aguero & Rodri goals secure third Carabao Cup in a row". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  74. Preece, Ashley (9 July 2020). "Dean Smith admits Villa relying on others after Man United defeat". birminghammail. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  75. "Emotional Smith proud to have kept Villa up". BBC Sport. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  76. "Aston Villa staying up better than play-off win - Dean Smith". BBC Sport. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  77. "Matty Cash: Aston Villa sign full-back from Nottingham Forest". Sky Sports. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  78. Evans, Gregg (11 September 2020). "How talent drive and raiding West Brom aided Villa's academy overhaul". The Athletic. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  79. "Emiliano Martinez: Aston Villa complete signing of goalkeeper from Arsenal". Sky Sports. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  80. "Bertrand Traore: Aston Villa complete £17m signing of Lyon forward". Sky Sports. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  81. "Liverpool break 67-year record in humiliating defeat to Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  82. Stadium, Paul Doyle at the King Power (18 October 2020). "Aston Villa's Ross Barkley strikes late to sink Leicester and keep up 100% record". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  83. "Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace: Tyrone Mings sent off in home win". BBC Sport. 26 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  84. "Smith earns Barclays Manager of the Month award". Premier League. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  85. "Aston Villa complete £14m Sanson signign". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  86. Maher, Matt (23 May 2021). "Deam Smith: Aston Villa is the place to be". Express and Star. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  87. "Man City sign £100m Grealish from Villa". BBC Sport. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  88. "£33m Buendia signs five-year Villa deal". BBC Sport. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  89. "Villa sign winger Bailey from Leverkusen". BBC Sport. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  90. "Aston Villa sign Ings from Southampton". BBC Sport. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  91. "Villa re-sign Young on one-year deal". BBC Sport. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  92. "Aston Villa re-sign Tuanzebe on loan". BBC Sport. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  93. "Aston Villa Club Statement". Aston Villa Football Club. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  94. "Norwich City announce Dean Smith as new head coach". Norwich City Football Club. 15 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  95. Poole, Harry (20 November 2021). "Norwich fight back to win in Smith's first game". www.bbc.com/sport. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  96. "Watford v Norwich, 2021/22 | Premier League". www.premierleague.com. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  97. Bosher, Luke (1 May 2022). "Norwich relegated from Premier League". The Athletic. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  98. "Norwich City part company with Dean Smith". Norwich City. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  99. "Head coach Smith sacked by Norwich". BBC Sport. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  100. "Leicester City Appoint Dean Smith As First Team Manager". LCFC. Leicester City Football Club. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  101. "Smith 'devastated' as Leicester relegated". BBC Sport. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  102. "Dean Smith: A Thank You From All At LCFC". www.lcfc.com. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  103. Nursey, James (26 May 2019). "Tearful Dean Smith admits dementia-suffering dad does not know he is Aston Villa boss". The Mirror. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  104. Ouzia, Malik (27 May 2019). "Aston Villa boss Dean Smith's vow to ill father: 'Next time I see you, I'll be a Premier League manager'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  105. "Aston Villa: Dean Smith's father dies after contracting coronavirus". BBC Sport. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  106. I get stopped for photos now when I walk the dog at 6.30am!, Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail, 8 September 2019
  107. Aston Villa Old Stars vs. Mickey Buttress X1
  108. Wilson, Matt (27 May 2019). "Dean Smith: The emotion came over me at the sight of my family after Aston Villa promotion". Express & Star. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  109. Parkes, Ian (13 December 2019). "Family life and lower league experience keeps me grounded – Villa boss Smith". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  110. Brand, Gerard (21 February 2021). "Dean Smith exclusive: Aston Villa manager on his philosophy, coaching roots and fondness for chess". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  111. Dean Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  112. Dean Smith management career statistics at Soccerbase
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.