Open Deal: Fulham have review The hidden secrets of Millwall
In August 2024, striker Matt Smith announced his retirement from playing after an outstanding last season with Salford City in which he scored 24 goals in 46 League Two appearances. The fact that Smith had his most productive season during the season that ended up being his last speaks volumes about the character of this former target man, who has made an impact on all three of the EFL divisions. The 35-year-old, who most Football League fans would immediately picture when they hear the word “journeyman,” proved to be a prolific goal scorer for most of the teams he played for, but not at Fulham. Smith was never at his best for Fulham.
During the 2012–13 season, Smith made his EFL debut with Oldham Athletic, then of League One. In 40 games across all competitions, he scored 11 goals. Most famously, the striker scored four goals in as many FA Cup appearances for the Latics, including two braces in a third-round match against Premier League powerhouse Liverpool in January 2013, when the Greater Manchester team pulled off one of the biggest cup upsets in recent history, defeating the Reds 3-2. However, Smith’s goal-scoring exploits in the FA Cup against Premier League teams headquartered in Merseyside would not end there, as he headed home an injury-time shot
Oldham ultimately suffered a 3-1 loss at Goodison Park in their fourth round rematch loss to the Toffees, but Smith would have his say again by netting another of his signature towering headers. Leeds United noticed the forward’s Latics play and signed him in the summer of 2013. He did a good job adjusting to life in the Championship, scoring 12 goals in 39 games in the 2013–14 season. His West Yorkshire exploits were sufficient to persuade Fulham, who had just been demoted from the Premier League, to sign him on September 1, 2014. Smith went on loan to League One Bristol City after failing to make an immediate impression at Craven Cottage.
Even though the R’s finished just 16th in the Championship table, Smith scored four goals in his first 16 QPR appearances after moving to Loftus Road during the second half of the 2016–17 season. The following season, he scored 11 goals and recorded a career-high nine assists. Smith’s tenure at R ended with the 2018–19 season, during which he made 35 appearances in the second tier and scored six goals. In the summer of 2019, Smith moved to Millwall. The attacker scored 13 goals in the Championship in his first season with the Lions, his third career double figure total and something he had not accomplished during his Fulham days. Smith stayed behind at the Den.