Smith grateful for Liverpool help after injury

ALAN SMITH will not allow the mindless acts of a few supporters to affect the gratitude he feels towards Liverpool for their compassion and swift action in dealing with his horrific injury.

Manchester United’s Premiership meeting with Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday provides Smith with his first opportunity to express personal thanks for the treatment he received at Anfield last February.

Left in agony as he crumpled trying to charge down a John Arne Riise free-kick, the United striker knows the swift action of Liverpool’s medical staff prevented the damage he suffered being even worse and, for a few minutes at least, bitter north-west rivalries were put on hold as home players rushed to his aid.

The treatment he received from Liverpool that day only makes it even more reprehensible that the ambulance taking him to hospital should be attacked as it made its way through the Merseyside streets.

At the time, Smith was so groggy from the oxygen required to relieve the pain of a broken leg and ankle, he was not totally aware of what was going on.

And even though he now knows, he will not allow it to have a negative impact on his feelings.

“Unfortunately, people drag up the tiny part about the ambulance,” he said.

“It is sad we always seem to want to dwell on the negatives rather than the positives. I never really noticed anyway, so there are no negative feelings from my point of view.

“We are talking about one person in a million. For every individual doing something like that, there were loads and loads, particularly at Liverpool FC, who wished me well. John Arne Riise got in touch, as did most of their players.

“If the people from Liverpool had not acted as swiftly as they did, the situation could have been a lot worse and it will be nice to have a chance to thank them personally on Sunday.”