Having helped York avoid relegation in 2012–13, he fell out of favour the following season, joining Conference Premier club FC Halifax Town in 2014.

[6][7] After being released by Leeds he joined Reading's youth system aged 15, spending three years as a trainee before signing a professional contract on 22 June 1999.

[18] According to the Evening Press, Smith gave a "near-faultless display" when York beat his former club Reading 2–0 at home in the FA Cup second round on 8 December 2001.

[19] He was forced to miss the Christmas period with a virus, which resulted in him losing his place in the team, with Mike Basham, Gary Hobson and Hocking forming solid partnership.

[22] Smith was substituted at half-time in York's 1–1 away draw with Halifax Town on 12 February 2002 due to a tight hamstring,[23] returning over two months later in a 3–0 home victory over Bristol Rovers on 16 April.

[25] He made his first appearance in the opening match, a 1–1 draw away to Macclesfield Town on 10 August 2002, with chairman John Batchelor claiming Smith had a "wonderful game and if we can get that sort of attitude from everyone in the team we won't have any problems".

[30] Smith received his first red card of 2002–03 for a second bookable offence in a 1–1 home draw with Hull City on 28 December 2002, resulting in a one-match suspension.

[36] Smith underwent a hernia operation in the close-season, but due to swelling and bruising around the bone his return was delayed and was an unused substitute for York's first match of 2003–04.

[43] Smith was dropped for York's match against Scunthorpe on 9 March 2004 after failing to be vocal and organisational in defence in a 4–1 defeat away to Kidderminster three days earlier, which was expected of him due to Brass' absence.

[46] After York's relegation to the Conference National was confirmed in April 2004, it was announced that Smith would be released in the summer, despite having been verbally offered a new contract over a month before.

[52] Smith joined Stafford's Conference North rivals Worcester City on 25 May 2005, manager Andy Preece calling him: "the best centre-half in the league by far".

[60] Smith was made captain for the final match of the season, a 3–0 victory away to Worksop Town on 29 April 2006, and according to the Worcester News he "anchored his side expertly from the back".

[88] After receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in a 2–1 home win over Stalybridge on 10 November 2007, he was suspended for Worcester's match away to Guiseley in the FA Trophy third qualifying round.

[94] Telford made a second bid, and if this had been successful, Smith would have become the club's record signing, as the eventual payment would have exceeded the £5,000 paid for Lee Moore in 2006.

[97][98] His return came in a 6–0 defeat away to Blyth Spartans on 12 April 2008, before playing in the second leg of the Worcestershire Senior Cup final against Redditch, which Worcester lost 2–0 on the day and 2–1 on aggregate.

[102] He made his Tamworth debut in a 1–1 draw with Droylsden on 9 August 2008, before scoring his first goal in a 2–1 victory away to King's Lynn on 21 October[103] after the ball fell to him from a corner kick in a crowded penalty area.

[103][105] He was forced into a late withdrawal from Tamworth's match against Burton Albion in the Birmingham Senior Cup on 13 January 2009 after his groin problem reappeared during the warm-up.

[119] He was handed a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in a 0–0 home draw with Forest Green Rovers on 28 December 2009,[120] meaning he missed Tamworth's match against Oxford United on 16 January 2010.

[130][131] Following Mills' appointment as manager at York City, Smith signed for his former club, by this time still playing in the Conference Premier, on 21 October 2010 on a three-month loan with a view to a permanent transfer.

[127] He was immediately installed as captain on his return and made his second debut as a York player in a 2–0 win away to Kidderminster in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on 23 October 2010.

[127][133] After receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in a 0–0 draw away to League Two team Rotherham United in the FA Cup first round, he was handed a one-match suspension.

[134] Smith's return was marked by a goal for York with a header from Michael Rankine's left-footed cross in a 3–0 home win over Rotherham in the replay on 17 November 2010.

[136] His first appearance after joining permanently came three days later in a 2–0 defeat away to Premier League team Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round,[137] which was the first time Smith had faced top-flight opposition in his career.

[139] He received a two-match suspension after picking up his 10th booking of the season in a 2–1 home win over Mansfield on 15 March 2011, meaning he missed York's matches against Cambridge and Histon.

[144] He was dropped from the starting line-up for the subsequent match against Bath City on 13 September 2011,[145] with Jamal Fyfield taking his place in central defence.

[146] Smith remained out of the line-up until he started a 2–1 victory away to Stockport County on 1 October 2011,[147] being favoured over Daniel Parslow as the replacement for the suspended David McGurk.

[143] After making a mistake that led to York conceding a goal late on in a 1–1 draw away to Forest Green on 26 November 2011,[152] he was replaced in the line-up by McGurk for the next match at home to Lincoln three days later.

[153] This was the start of a second extended spell out of the team for Smith that season, before returning to play as a defensive midfielder in a 3–5–2 formation for York's FA Trophy first-round replay away to Solihull Moors on 13 December 2011.

[179] He has also had spells playing at right-back and in defensive midfield; in the latter role "every attribute he has is geared to that job", said Worcester assistant manager Andy Morrison in 2006.

[183] According to the Nottingham Post, he established himself as "a tough, uncompromising player with a winning mentality" at Tamworth, and these qualities led to Mansfield manager David Holdsworth signing him in 2010.