Alex Smithies

He came on as a 76th-minute substitute after Matt Glennon was sent off during Huddersfield Town's 4–1 defeat by Southend United at Roots Hall.

His full début came in a 4–0 defeat at Leeds United on 8 December, after Glennon lost an appeal against his dismissal and Town were refused permission to loan an emergency goalkeeper on the grounds that Smithies was registered as a professional.

Alexander Smithies (born 5 March 1990) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Smithies is a product of the Huddersfield Town academy who first came into prominence during the 2007–08 season.

Having come through the Academy of the club he grew up supporting, Smithies made his first-team début on 5 December 2007.

Smithies' first appearance at the Galpharm Stadium for a first-team match was on 6 December 2008.

In this match, caretaker manager Gerry Murphy dropped regular goalkeeper Matt Glennon in favour of Smithies, who went on to help Huddersfield to a 2–1 victory over Walsall.

The first clean sheet he kept for the club came on 13 December 2008.

In the 1–0 win over Southend United, Smithies saved a penalty from James Walker, ten minutes from time.

Smithies became the first-choice keeper for the remainder of the 2008–09 season and, after the arrival of manager Lee Clark, made the number one jersey his own.

Throughout the 2009–10 season, Smithies was the only player to play in each and every league and cup match for Huddersfield.

He made 48 starts, 17 of which resulted in a clean sheet for the Terriers.

His contribution in helping Huddersfield to a final position inside the League One playoffs was reflected by him winning the club's Young Player of the Year Trophy.

On 17 November 2009 Smithies was linked with Stoke City after a scout from the club was the latest in a long string of Premier League interest to be seen at the Galpharm.

This interest was played down by Lee Clark and Tony Coton, and Smithies insisted he was happy to be at Huddersfield.

In conceding just 56 goals in such a competitive campaign, he won both praise and admiration from many quarters; earning the Football League's Young Player of the Month award in February 2010 along the way.

Smithies was named as the Football League Young Player of the Month for February 2010 after keeping three clean sheets in seven undefeated Huddersfield Town matches.

Smithies' 2010–11 campaign was punctuated by injury, restricting him to just 27 appearances in all competitions throughout the season.

His performances, on the occasions he did play, earned him a call up to the England under-21 squad, although he was unable to play – again due to injury.

Smithies' absence from the squad during 2010–11 through injury allowed Ian Bennett to become first choice goalkeeper, backed up by fellow veteran Nick Colgan.

In January 2011, he was linked with a £1.5m move to Aston Villa, after Villa manager Gérard Houllier was said to have been impressed with his performance against Sheffield Wednesday.

Further speculation relating to his future at the club followed Huddersfield's 3–0 defeat against Peterborough United in the League One play-off final, and he was linked with a move to Leicester City, along with teammate Lee Peltier.

However, when Leicester had a bid for Kasper Schmeichel accepted by Leeds United in June, speculation that Smithies could be heading for Leeds was rejected by Huddersfield chief executive Nigel Clibbens.

His injury meant he remained sidelined for the first half of the season and had to wait until 14 February 2012 to make his first appearance in the 2011–12 campaign.

This came in the 1–0 home defeat to Sheffield United, a result which would cost manager Lee Clark his job the following day.

This was followed by his first clean sheet of the campaign in Huddersfield's 2–0 home win over Exeter City on 25 February 2012.

During the second leg League One play-off match against Milton Keynes Dons he came on as a substitute for Bennett, who had gone off with an injured hand.

Town lost the match 2–1 but reached the final against Sheffield United 3–2 on aggregate.

Smithies started in the final, which finished 0–0 thanks to some excellent saves from the young custodian.

In the penalty shoot-out Smithies performed more heroics, saving three of the Sheffield penalties.

After ten penalties each, the sides were still inseparable, and Smithies and opposite number Steve Simonsen stepped up to take the next penalties for their sides.

Smithies scored in emphatic fashion, before Simonsen put his penalty over the bar to give promotion to the Terriers.

He joined Queens Park Rangers in 2015 before joining Cardiff City in 2018.

Smithies joined Leicester City in 2022.

He made no appearances for the club and retired due to injury in 2024.

Smithies was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

He grew up in Golcar, in the Colne Valley area of Huddersfield.

He attended Colne Valley High School, Linthwaite.

He grew up supporting Huddersfield Town.

Smithies previously played football for Westend Juniors in Huddersfield's local leagues, and he joined the Huddersfield Town academy at the age of 8.