FA CUP
Smith Reveals Injury Nightmare
Alan Smith has spoken out about the horrific injury he sustained in Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
The 25-year-old striker-turned-midfielder admits the severity of his plight only dawned on him when he saw the contorted shape of his left ankle.
Alan told The Sun: "When I looked, the leg was lying one way and my ankle was pointing towards Hong Kong so I knew I was in serious trouble."
In typical gritty fashion, however, Smith is already gearing himself up for the long and winding road to recovery.
"But the doctors are very positive," he said. "I've had an operation and now it's a question of starting on the road back."
Meanwhile, team-mate Gary Neville admits he was left reeling by the sight of his stricken team-mate.
Neville told MUTV: "Sometimes in football, things happen which just stop you in your tracks, no matter how big the game you are playing in or what is going on around you. That was one of those moments. It is a bad injury and we are all gutted for him.
"Alan has immense courage and he was showing it when he went to block the free-kick. It made the whole day doubly disappointing for us."
Alan Smith has spoken out about the horrific injury he sustained in Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
The 25-year-old striker-turned-midfielder admits the severity of his plight only dawned on him when he saw the contorted shape of his left ankle.
Alan told The Sun: "When I looked, the leg was lying one way and my ankle was pointing towards Hong Kong so I knew I was in serious trouble."
In typical gritty fashion, however, Smith is already gearing himself up for the long and winding road to recovery.
"But the doctors are very positive," he said. "I've had an operation and now it's a question of starting on the road back."
Meanwhile, team-mate Gary Neville admits he was left reeling by the sight of his stricken team-mate.
Neville told MUTV: "Sometimes in football, things happen which just stop you in your tracks, no matter how big the game you are playing in or what is going on around you. That was one of those moments. It is a bad injury and we are all gutted for him.
"Alan has immense courage and he was showing it when he went to block the free-kick. It made the whole day doubly disappointing for us."