We're back with another episode of I Had Trials Once and this time we're joined by former Huddersfield, QPR, Cardiff & Leicester goalkeeper Alex Smithies!
Alex sits down with Gaz & Jord as he discusses his football career from playing for his boyhood club Huddersfield to training with Vardy & Maddison at Leicester.
The lads start the pod talking about Alex's life post football with his career in finance and helping players manager their money and not fall into the same traps we often see in the media.
They then talk in depth about his early career at Huddersfield, how he became a number one keeper at just 18 years old, signing his first big contract and scoring the winning penalty in a play-off final.
The trio then chat about Alex's surprise move to QPR, Ian Holloway's bizarre coach carter training tactics, how he knew Eberechi Eze was a superstar from an early age and what made Ravel Morrison so good.
Alex then speaks about his dream move to Cardiff with Neil Warnock and why he was gutted he never made his Premier League debut at the club as well as what it's like as a keeper when it comes to dropping clangers and how you can only get away with one.
Alex continues with his decision to become a third choice goalkeeper at Leicester City in the Premier League, relationship with Jamie Vardy and why James Maddison wanted him to shout abuse at him in training sessions.
Finally, he talks about how he recently fell out of love with football before ending the pod on the toughest player he's ever come up against.
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0:00 Intro with Alex Smithies
6:30 Life since retiring
12:25 Early life at Huddersfield
16:30 England youth team
19:31 Breaking through at Huddersfield
24:55 Dealing with big injuries
26:10 Huddersfield play-off final
32:39 Signing first big contract
39:55 Surprise QPR move
46:07 Working with Neil Warnock
48:37 Incredible Ravel Morrison
52:10 Ian Holloway’s coach Carter tactics
54:10 Premier League dream move
57:25 Neil Harris relationship
58:58 Dropping a clanger
1:01:15 Tough centre backs
1:04:11 Life as a 3rd choice keeper
1:16:50 Falling out of love with football
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