It might have been the easy option, but it would also have been the wrong one. The England striker has never been interested in ducking challenges.

"Once I had decided to leave Leeds I only wanted to join Manchester United," he says of his £7 million transfer.

"As a young player who wants to achieve things there is no better place to come than Manchester United. It takes a lot of courage to move here from Leeds, especially for someone like me who is Leeds born and bred."

It was this strength of character that appealed so much to Sir Alex Ferguson: "I'd often discussed Alan with my staff and we concluded he's a Leeds boy and he would never come here.

"Once Leeds were relegated it was obvious a player of his ability could never stay there. But when I was told he was willing to join us, and that he wasn't interested in the past, I said 'That'll do for me.'

"I knew a move from Leeds would be difficult and it takes bravery. But all he kept saying was that he wanted to get here and prove himself.

"It would have been easier to take up one of the other half-dozen offers he had but when you see the kind of enthusiasm Alan had to come here, you are getting someone of real substance. I truly believe he will be a tremendous player for us."

At only 18 years old, Smith scored on his Premiership debut against Liverpool in a 3-1 win at Anfield.

He went on to play a major role in David O'Leary's exciting young side as they excelled in the Premiership and in the Champions League.

Over time, Smith found himself shunted back in to midfield to make way for a procession of new strikers. Whilst his commitment never wavered, the goals inevitably dried up.

As such, Smith will be delighted to learn he will only be used as a striker at Old Trafford. "I see Alan as an old-fashioned centre-forward, an aggressive front-running player," says Ferguson. "The fact he can play in other positions is coincidental as far as I'm concerned."

Being stationed in midfield has inevitably hurt Smith's international prospects in recent seasons.

Smith says: "Playing midfield won't get me into the England squad," he has said. "And as a striker, I think I'm good enough to start in that England team."

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