Newcastle Transfers: 10 Worst Ever Premier League Signings

3. Alan Smith

From: Manchester United Fee: £6 million (Source: BBC) Alan Smith is an ex-footballer now plying his trade at MK Dons. He was once deemed a talented striker for Leeds United... but was he really? Smith's highest tally in the league was 11, this being the only time he scored over ten goals in his career, but he definitely gave his all, and that can be the only reason for anyone thinking his time on Tyneside was anything but harrowing. Especially considering the monstrous £60,000 a week wage he picked up over the five years he was at St. James', that's £15.6million by the way. Since coming back from his awful leg-knack at Manchester United, Smith became a centre-midfielder on the basis that Alex Ferguson said so. Sam Allardyce even tried to go one-step further and make him line up behind the goal as he employed him in a position technically known as, 'Stand in front of their tallest player so it's harder for him to jump'. It was hard to dislike Smith because as fans were repeatedly told, 'he was great to have around the place'. Assuming that place wasn't the large green thing outside where the football happened. If Football Manager were truly honest about Smith's ratings they would have read something like this: Slide Tackles: 18 Slide Tackle Success: 2 Likelihood of a booking: 678 Passing: -4 Lowering of ability directly proportionate to lengthening of hair: infinite. Alan Smith could not play football.