Tearful Smith to lead Leeds exodus

Bolton Wanderers 4 Leeds United 1

The club has completed a startling transition from European heroes to relegation fodder in the space of three short years.

And Smith confirmed last night he cannot afford to ruin his England prospects by staying at Elland Road.

The England striker knows he needs to be playing in the Premiership, or a top flight abroad, if he is to enhance his international career.

Smith, responding to the question 'realistically, you're not going to play in the Nationwide are you?' replied: "No, I'm not a first division player. I've got an international career to think about and hopefully the Leeds United fans understand that."

Smith paid tribute to the fans who sang his name as they watched their team lose a game they had to win to have any chance of Premiership survival and offered the hope that he might rejoin the club later in his career.

"They have been unbelievable all season," he said. "I have always tried my best and they have taken to me.

"I can't thank them enough and hopefully, in years to come, it will not be the last time they see me in a Leeds shirt."

With the transfer window not opening until the end of the season Smith should be in a Leeds shirt for the remaining two games at home to Charlton and away to Chelsea.

And Smith is determined to go out with a bang, adding: "For the foreseeable future I am a Leeds United player and we have to show pride and passion in the games that are left.

"It has been a long and hard season for us. I think we deserve to go down because we have not been good enough but it is certainly difficult to take when it comes."

Earlier yesterday, Smith had stressed his hope of rejoining Leeds one day and revealed his disappointment at the current board's lukewarm attempts to hold onto him when he held a meeting with them about his future.

"Wherever I go, if I have to go, at the end of this season, hopefully I will still be able to come back to this club and it won't be the last time I am seen in a Leeds shirt," he said.

"The club have done a lot for me and I can't be running off but it is an important time in my career.

"I want people to know I have given my all week in, week out and if I have to walk away no-one can say I've not been trying. I've done my best for this club and I'm proud of myself."

"The stuff (on his future) that has come out is not necessarily true but I don't like the way it has been done and it has come out in the press, that's what's disappointing.

"When you go to a meeting and you are told they can't offer you a new contract and can't guarantee your future if that's moving heaven and earth for someone they've got a different idea of it to me."

Meanwhile, ex-boss David O'Leary admitted to mixed feelings as he came to terms with his Leeds' relegation.

"I'm very sad about what's happened," said the Villa boss following his own team's home victory over Tottenham.

"What I can't understand when you look at the players that are still there is that they are not a team who can finish in the top 10 at least.

"There is far too much quality in that side for Leeds to be going down. It is a sad day for the supporters, because I think it has been proved they have been fantastic all season. Let's hope Leeds can get back up as soon as possible."

Ironically, Leeds had weathered Bolton's early storm and went ahead when referee Steve Bennett awarded a spot-kick in the 25th minute when Emerson Thome hauled down Smith, although there was a minimum of contact.

After the furore had abated, Viduka strode forward to score his 12th goal of the season and his seventh in his last 10 appearances to raise hopes among the Leeds supporters.

But then Viduka continued to take centre stage, but for all the wrong reasons for just five minutes later he was awarded the first of his two yellow cards for a petulant kick at Thome at a point when the game was beginning to boil over.

It prompted the likes of Smith as remarkable as it sounds given his track record Matteo, Gary Kelly and caretaker-manager Eddie Gray all urging the Australia international to keep his cool.

But Viduka failed to heed their words and just 90 seconds later was cautioned for a second time, and handed a subsequent red by Bennett, for an elbow aimed at Bruno N'Gotty.

Gray's side needed to hold firm in those early moments after the restart, but within 86 seconds Bolton were level as Youri Djorkaeff slipped an angled shot past Robinson.

After Kelly had cleared a scintillating Djorkaeff drive off the line soon after, the former France international was not to be denied as he then followed up two blocked Nicky Hunt shots by rifling home the go-ahead goal from close range.

When Ian Harte turned a Simon Charlton cross over his own line in the 55th minute it was all over, with Kevin Nolan hammering home the final nail in the 78th minute after a sublime through ball from Okocha.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Thome (Barness 38), N'Gotty, Charlton, Nolan, Campo, Okocha, Pedersen (Javi Moreno 69), Djorkaeff, Davies (Giannakopoulos 84).

LEEDS: Robinson, Kelly, Duberry, Caldwell, Harte, Pennant, McPhail, Matteo, Milner (Wilcox 60), Viduka, Smith.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).