Fans of SFL clubs would be incorrect in singing that ‘There is only one Darren Smith’ at games as there is actually three Darren Smiths likely to feature in the IRN-BRU SFL Championship this weekend. One Darren Smith switched Alloa Athletic for East Fife during the summer, another Darren Smith moved to Berwick Rangers from Albion Rovers and the third Darren Smith travelled down from Ross County to Stirling Albion.
With two goals in his last three games, Darren Lee Smith of Stirling Albion is beginning to show red and white fans what he is capable of and the 23-year-old is out to ensure football fans are put in the correct picture about what he can do.
Smith said: “When I scored against Brechin the other week, one of the papers used a picture of the Darren Smith that is at East Fife and hopefully if I score against Cowdenbeath on Saturday, they will use the right picture.
“It should be a really tough game and we need to be solid against the second top side but hopefully, I will be seeing myself as Darren Smith in the papers next week.”
The Albion attacker is however, no stranger to being in the papers as he explained during a run-down of his career which he started off by saying: “I began my senior career as a full-time professional at Motherwell aged 16. I came through at my local boys club in Carluke and had been in at Livingston for about six months before training at Motherwell for a couple of years and signing for them.
“I started off as a striker and then a winger and then a midfielder.”
First team debuts can be memorable for all sorts of reasons and Smith was able to remember his due to a record attendance at the game as he explained: “I made my first appearance for Motherwell against Inverness when they were renting Pittodrie. Whilst the game was really memorable for me, it was the record low attendance for a SPL game until Gretna came along and had even lower crowds.”
Despite the lack of numbers watching Smith make his entrance to football in October 2004, it was still quite rightly a grand occasion for the player who said: “It was a brilliant day for me and my dad and brother went up as I had been called into the squad. I was not expecting to be involved but I got on for the last five minutes in a 1-1 draw.”
Smith’s first goal came 11 months later as he recalled: “My first senior goal came against St. Mirren in a CIS Insurance Cup tie at their old Love Street ground. I came on with 75 minutes played and I was probably the happiest person on the pitch when it went to extra-time as it meant I was getting more game time.
“David Clarkson opened the scoring midway through the first period of extra-time and I scored just before that period ended. Scott McDonald slipped the ball through to me and I put it away and it was a great feeling. It was at the end where the away fans were situated in the big steep stand and I could really see their reaction.”
Smith was very impressed with his Australian international team-mate as he explained: “Scott was phenomenal to play alongside and in my mind, he kept us up one season almost single-handedly. He was a small striker but his movement was fantastic and you could learn loads from him.”
A further higher profile strike started to get this Darren Smith better known although he was not too popular after netting.
“I scored a last minute equaliser on Boxing Day against Celtic at Fir Park and that was a great experience with the big crowd that was there,” said Smith before adding, “I had spent part of Christmas Day telling my girlfriend and her family, who were all Celtic fans, that I would score. They were not too happy although I think secretly they were quite chuffed for me.
“I then scored the winner against Falkirk a few weeks later and things were looking great.”
International recognition was seen as well with Smith advising: “I got one Under-21 cap for Scotland when I was at Motherwell in March 2007 and it was in a memorable game although we lost 2-0 to Germany. Werder Bremen’s Aaron Hunt played that night for Germany and he was outstanding against us.
“His movement was fantastic and I turned on Eurogoals a week later and he was scoring a hat-trick against Bayern Munich. I would have liked to get more caps but it never happened so I will have to be content with the one.”
Unfortunately, high spots became fewer as the youngsters progress was hindered by injuries with Smith advising: “I was at Fir Park for six seasons and for four of them, I was in the first team squad and I got a lot of game time but then I suffered from a couple of injuries. It was great being full-time but I knew that when my contract was up, I would be getting released.
“It was unfortunate how it ended but it was a great experience with great people at a great club. I had a hip operation that stopped me from playing for five and a half months. When I was ready to come back, Motherwell were doing really well and I could not get back in. I went out to Stenhousemuir on loan and played there for two games before getting injured again. Things just fizzled out basically.”
A trial game for Ross County last July against Clachnacuddin paved the way for a one year deal in Dingwall however, lady luck again refused to play fair with Smith as he explained: “We played Dundee United in The Co-operative Insurance Cup in September and lost 2-1 in a game live on TV and lost 2-1 to a really unfortunate own goal.”
That was not the only bad piece of luck as Smith added: “One of their defenders cleared the ball and it smacked right off my arm and my wrist started swelling up instantly but I could still move it. Six weeks later, it was finally discovered that my wrist was broken and that put me in a cast for four months.
“That ruled me out of any kind of physical contact which was really annoying as I could run about and kept myself really fit and although I got back into things in April/ May time, what I thought was pretty much a dream move was turning into a nightmare.
That nightmare ended when Smith was released and it was no surprise as he said: “I had simply not played enough and I could not argue with the decision to let me go.
“I trained with a couple of teams and then got a call from Stirling to come in and train with them on a Thursday night. I scored in a friendly game and was enjoying it as it is a good bunch of boys that are here.”
Newspaper headlines were again made when Stirling fans spoke of their delight in signing Smith through the cash generated from increased bar takings.
It made Smith chuckle as he said: “I was a bit surprised to read in the paper that my signing was being funded by pub takings and all I can say is that truth should not get in the way of a good story. When I asked about it, it was not a case of me being paid that way but it was a good tale.”
Both Smith and his team-mates’ form is certainly making it a topic of discussion in local hostelries as he explained: “The season had started well and then we had a wee blip but we re-grouped and talked things through and have been fairly solid in our last few games. I reckon that we can push for a Play-Off place over the rest of the season.
“Jocky Scott is a coach I can learn a lot from as he certainly knows what he is talking about in front of goal. He scored a lot of goals himself and you pick up things from him that confirms to you what a good goalscorer he was.”
That coaching is paying off with Smith putting into practice what he has been taught saying: “I scored the winner against Brechin which was good as I have had a few chances recently and not taken them all. In fact, we could have had three wins in a row because against Stenhousemuir and then Airdrie, I had late chances but I missed both of them. Jocky talked me through them and I was really glad to get the one against Brechin. We had been playing well and deserved the win.
“I am very excited about this season and about being at Stirling as one of the main reasons I came here was that I wanted to play football. I wanted to get my love of playing the game back again after a couple of seasons of disappointments.”
Smith’s desire to fall in love with the game again is working as it was a case of absence making the heart grow fonder as he explained: “I was gutted at the International break and the Cowdenbeath game this Saturday cannot come quick enough for me. My plan now is to play well for Stirling, score a few goals for them and then see what happens for the club and for me.
“I am enjoying it here, the supporters are doing a really good job in running the club and it would be great to get on a good run and bring more exposure to what they are doing.”
Smith knows about his namesakes as he said: “I have played against one of the Darren Smiths at youth level, the one that is at Berwick now, and with East Fife in the same division, I will play against the other Darren Smith at some stage as he missed our first meeting of the season.”
