Former Leeds United favourite Alan Smith is unsure what sort of reception he will receive when he makes his first return to Elland Road on Sunday.
Smith will be in the Newcastle squad for the pre season friendly and it will be his first return since leaving the club in 2004.
Most fans understood that the club needed to sell Smith due to the clubs financial situation but were not so forgiving after he chose the clubs fiercest rivals Manchester United as his destination.
The two side met in pre season in 2009 at St James Park with Smith getting a hostile reception from the large Leeds following.
Speaking in the Chronicle, Smith said, “I don`t know what the reception will be – we played them at St James` Park two seasons ago and I got a bad one then, so I am expecting the same at Elland Road.
“I have been back to watch games but never as a player. It is not something I have really wanted to do to be honest.
“I have a great affiliation with the club, they brought me through the game. I was an Academy player and a senior player when I left.”
Leeds have been strongly linked with the player over the summer with Newcastle ready to offload him.
The Leeds fans websites have been full of polls during the summer asking whether they would like to see his return to Elland Road, with the overwhelming majority in favour.
Wages seem to be the major obstacle in his return to Elland Road with the Leeds manager and chairman both expressing their interest in bringing Smith back to Leeds.
According to reports Smith is currently on around £60,000 a week and is unwilling to take a wage cut to join his hometown club.
Vital Leeds are the proud sponsors of the Thames Valley Whites Regional Supporters club
The fastest growing Leeds United supporters club in the South of England, with almost 200 members since it`s formation in April 2009, travel to all games home and away.
The branch has pick up points at Basingstoke, Reading, Didcot, Abingdon, Oxford, Bicester and Banbury and will consider other pick up points on request.
Vital Leeds offers everything that a Leeds United supporter could wish for. If you can think of something and suggest it, we`ll put it on the website!
With news and views, along with a forum, polls and article comments, everything you need in a fans site is right here!
You can even win prizes, by posting articles comments, posting on the message forum and voting on the polls.
The site is regularly updated with news and views regarding all the current events at Elland Road, alongside a fully interactive message forum.
With news and views, along with a forum, polls and article comments, everything you need in a fans site is right here!
You can even win prizes, by posting articles comments, posting on the message forum and voting on the polls.
Vital is also 100% interactive. Not only can you have your say on the articles and the forum but you can also suggest an article or a poll so you can air your views.
So why not join Vital today?
It’s easy to register here and enjoy getting involved
Message Board
To visit the message board, click here.
Get involved
This website is your website and we are looking for people to help run the site. Do you go to most of the games and have an opinion? Why not write a match report? Perhaps you are a budding journalist or even just someone who is very opinionated? Well why not join our team? If this interests you please contact Vital Leeds .
Vital Leeds is now available on both facebook and twitter, so if you are that way inclined and more importantly understand all this new fangled dangled stuff, feel free to watch us, poke us or whatever else you are meant to do there!
Vital Leeds on:
Vital Leeds on: