Wrexham Star Savors ‘Special Moment’ Against Man Utd a Year After Health Scare

The Red Dragons secured an impressive victory over Manchester United in their second preseason match.

Sam Smith scored from his only shot of the game against Manchester United. | X: @Wrexham_AFC

It may have only been preseason, but Wrexham striker Sam Smith will not forget the feeling of scoring the winning goal against Manchester United anytime soon.

The 28-year-old scored the game's only goal just before halftime in Helsinki to secure a deserved victory for the Red Dragons against the club that released him at the age of 16. Smith was one of the standout performers, producing a relentless display that caused constant problems for a Manchester United defense featuring Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro.

It marked another milestone in a remarkable career that has seen the fan favorite defy the odds to become one of the Championship's most effective forwards.

After leaving Manchester United, Smith signed for Reading and spent seven years with the club, enjoying six loan spells with teams including Bishop's Stortford and Cheltenham Town. He later spent two years at Cambridge United before returning to Reading in 2023.

Smith joined Wrexham for a then-club-record fee of approximately $2.7 million in January 2025 and scored seven goals to help guide the Red Dragons to promotion to the Championship.

Preparing for the highest level of his career, Smith knew he had plenty to prove before disaster struck last summer. The striker underwent two successful surgeries to remove a benign tumor from his calf. A biopsy thankfully confirmed the growth was non-cancerous, but the experience was still a frightening one, forcing him to miss preseason for the third consecutive year.

The health scare limited Smith to a backup role at the start of last season, but he found his rhythm around the holiday period and scored nine goals as Wrexham finished seventh, narrowly missing out on a Championship playoff berth.

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Only Getting Stronger

Smith proved he has what it takes to play in the Championship. | Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

There will be plenty more difficult tests ahead as the Red Dragons continue their push toward the Premier League, but manager Phil Parkinson is convinced “Smudge” is ready for the challenge.

“With Sam, it is a very good point that we came up a level last year and he had his tumor in his calf,” Parkinson said after the victory over Manchester United. “We had to manage his minutes and really take our time with him. He got in the team around Christmas and had a brilliant second half of the season. He has got hunger. He wants to prove to everyone how good he is.

“I said to him today, ‘I don’t care that it is a preseason friendly, I want you to show Harry Maguire that he has been in a game.’ I think he did.”

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The Man for the Big Occasion

Sam Smith scored seven times in 18 games as Wrexham were promoted to the Championship. | Nik Mesney/Huw Evans/Shutterstock

Smith has developed a habit of delivering in the biggest moments. He scored twice as Wrexham defeated Charlton Athletic to seal promotion from League One and also opened the scoring in the club's narrow FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Chelsea last season.

Each setback seems to have made him stronger, and with a full preseason finally behind him, Smith will hope to enjoy the best campaign of his career.

“It was a special moment,” Smith said of his goal. “I think we had a really good 45 minutes. There were a lot of things we wanted to work on, and we implemented them really well. You always want to play against the best and show what you can do against the best, so that is what we tried to do.

“I don’t think I have had a proper preseason for three years now, so it is nice to build up, get the minutes in, get the training in, and go into the season feeling sharp, which I haven’t had the luxury of for a while. I am feeling good.

“I think that is why the gaffer plays me. He knows I will put my body on the line, work hard, stretch the defense, hold the ball up, and I like to think I have got a goal in me. When you are playing against the best, you have got to do that. You have to impose your game, make life difficult for defenders, and that is what I try to do every game.”

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