‘Gary Lineker never used to go out for the warm-ups. He’d stand in a hot bath and do a few stretches, then he was ready’ Alan Smith on his former Leicester City team-mate
During his 15-year playing stint, Alan Smith would enjoy a distinguished career that saw him win two league titles, represent his country and plunder more than 200 goals.
He would play with some of the best forwards of his era, but one early strike partnership left a huge impression on him.
When Smith arrived at Leicester City in 1982, he was paired with another promising young English striker in Gary Lineker, with the duo quickly learning how to bring the best out of each other.
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Alan Smith on his Gary Lineker partnership
Smith joined the Foxes as Lineker was establishing himself in the first team, but the former Alvechurch forward soon noticed something special in his new team-mate.
“Gary was great, but he didn’t really like training,” Smith tells FourFourTwo. “He never even used to go out for the warm-ups.
“We’d all go out, but he’d stand in a hot bath and do a few stretches, then he was ready. He just had this natural talent for scoring goals.”
Lineker was two years Smith’s senior and the pair soon realised that their talents complemented each other.
“I was fortunate that my first partnership was with someone who naturally gelled with my style,” he continues. “We didn’t have to work too hard at it.
“Gary was one of those who loved to hang on the last line of defence and use his speed to get onto the end of things, while I played with my back to goal, flicking it on or holding it up. Our respective styles naturally clicked.”
Smith and Lineker’s club partnership ended in 1985 when the latter moved on to Everton, but they would again cross paths when Smith was called up to various England squads at either side of the turn of the decade.
And indeed, the pair would both make their final England appearances at Euro 92 against Sweden, when Smith controversially replaced his former club team-mate, who was just one goal shy of the Three Lions all-time scoring record.
“Graham Taylor and Gary didn’t really see eye to eye,” he recalls. “During the match, I was sitting on the bench and Graham was having a go at Gary for not holding the ball up. Then I was told to warm up. We needed a goal, and I naturally thought I was going on to partner Gary. When his number went up, I was surprised.
“But you’re just thinking about getting out there and doing your job for your country – it was a big moment for me. It’s only afterwards you think about the ramifications. I do think it was a strange substitution by Graham, given that we desperately needed a goal.”
