Wrexham have signed striker Sam Smith from Reading for a report club-record fee of £2m, with the player managed and strongly praised early in his senior career by Jaap Stam
Wrexham’s new big-money signing was once hailed by a Manchester United icon for his incredible mental strength.
Reading’s Sam Smith joined the Red Dragons, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, on Friday for a reported club-record fee of £2million. The 26-year-old striker has penned a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Welsh side after scoring 11 goals in 26 appearances for the Royals so far this season.
Smith has a strong pedigree in the game after initially coming through Manchester United’s academy, alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. The Manchester-born forward was then released by the Premier League giants at the age of 16, before being picked up and developed via Reading’s youth system.
The links to Old Trafford don’t end there though as Smith was managed during the start of his senior career by none other than Jaap Stam. The player signed his first professional contract with Reading in the summer of 2016 and was handed his debut by the ex-United defender the following year.
Smith was one of a handful of selected youngsters who joined the Royals’ first-team squad in the Netherlands for a pre-season training camp in mid-2017. He made his senior debut under Stam in August that year at the age 19, coming off the bench in a Carabao Cup clash against Gillingham and scored in the club’s second-round extra-time victory over Millwall.
While his opportunities became limited shortly after, then-Reading boss Stam hailed his strong mindset. Speaking during an interview with Berkshire Live in October 2017, the Dutchman said: “Sam is doing a great job and his development has been fantastic.
“At the beginning of the season people on the outside would not have known him and now they are asking why he isn’t in the first team. That tells you something about his mentality. He is the type of player who works very hard and is making improvements.
“But as a manager you need to make a decision when is he ready to start. Sometimes they need time to get involved, adjust to everything, know what is expected from him and then there will be a time when we think he is ready to step in.”
Unfortunately for Smith, the first team opportunities would eventually dry up in his initial stint at Reading after Stam left the club with two months left of the 2017/18 campaign. The forward later admitted that he “learned a lot” from the manager.
Following Stam’s departure, Smith spent time on loan with the likes of Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town, Cambridge United, Tranmere Rovers and Cheltenham Town before his contract expired in May 2021. He then joined Cambridge on a permanent basis that summer, scoring 35 goals in 109 appearances across all competitions during two seasons with the club.
His initial setback at Reading stood him in good stead as he later made a triumphant return in July 2023. Speaking upon rejoining the club, Smith revealed that his time away had taught him a lot. He told local news outlet RDG Today: “I had to go away and learn to play as a lone striker and learn how to use my body.
“You have to learn the dark side of the game going into the lower leagues and that helps when you get older and more physical. I think it’s benefitted me massively and I feel I’m really ready to impact the team and get some goals.” Smith bagged 16 goals in 37 appearances for the Royals last term and has already netted 11 times in 25 matches this season up until now before securing his move to North Wales.
On signing for Wrexham, Smith said: “It feels amazing to join the club and I’m happy that the deal is over the line. It was an unbelievable experience to play against the club at the STōK Cae Ras and the atmosphere really stuck with me. I’m excited to be a part of the journey now and I want to try and help the club achieve its ambitions.”
The club’s manager Phil Parkinson said: “Sam is a player we’ve been pursuing for a while. He’s a striker who’s done really well over the last few seasons and he’s at a great age. He’s a fantastic addition to the squad.”
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