Ian Paul Smith

Football player infobox| playername= Paul Smith
fullname = Ian Paul Smith
nickname =
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1976|1|22|mf=y
cityofbirth = Easington, County Durham
countryofbirth = England
height = height|feet=6
currentclub = Sheffield
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1994-2001
2000
2001
2001-2003
2003-2005
2005-2006
2006
2007-
clubs = Burnley
→ Oldham Athletic (loan)
Torquay United
Hartlepool United
Sheffield Wednesday
Alfreton Town
Kidderminster Harriers
Sheffield F.C.
caps(goals) = 112 (5)
004 (0)
000 (0)
055 (4)
027 (2)

003 (0)
pcupdate = 2006-10-15

Paul Smith (born January 22, 1976 in Easington) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. He plays for Sheffield F.C.

Smith started his career as a trainee at Burnley, turning professional in July 1994. He was loaned out to Oldham Athletic in September 2000. He returned to Burnley after a month and returned to their first team that December, but was released at the end of the season.

In October 2001 he joined Torquay United on trial, playing in the Devon Professional Bowl win against Western League Barnstaple Town on the 16th.

He joined Hartlepool United on a free transfer in November 2001 and quickly settled in as a first team regular topping the Division's assists charts (with 37) as Hartlepool reached the Division Three play-offs. He joined Chris Turner as he moved to Sheffield Wednesday on a Bosman in June 2003, having helped Hartlepool to promotion. He scored a goal on his second substitute appearance and on his full debut but failed to set the team alight whilst often being injured and missed out on the chance to face off against his former team in the play-off final. He was released by Wednesday on their return to the Football League Championship, later playing for Alfreton Town from where he joined Nationwide Conference side Kidderminster Harriers in January 2006. He made just three substitute appearances for Harriers before leaving in the summer of 2006. After a season out of football, Paul signed for Sheffield in the summer of 2007. Bizarrely his namesake Paul Smith (who is just three days younger) had played for Sheffield the previous season.