Bristol City struck gold by signing English midfielder who learnt the ropes at Norwich City | OneFootball

Korey Smith was an astute signing by Bristol City.

Bristol City had numerous standout players throughout the 2010s, but few had as profound an impact on the team as Korey Smith.

Happy to be the unsung hero, the now Cambridge United midfielder had to earn his stripes at Ashton Gate, but you’d never hear a negative word about him from the red half of Bristol.

Perhaps many will feel he left too soon in 2020, but his six years of dedicated service under the guidance of Steve Cotterill and Lee Johnson will always be fondly remembered.

Korey Smith's path to BS3

Korey Smith began his career at Norwich City, and after making his debut in the 2008-09 season, he quickly became a regular in the Canaries' side the following year.

The midfielder played 3,078 minutes of league action across 37 games in 2009-10 and helped them secure promotion to the Championship as they won the League One title, a feat he would later achieve at the Robins as well.

The following season, Smith was part of the squad that achieved back-to-back promotions, but his role in the team gradually diminished, leading to loan spells at various Championship and League One clubs.

It was the final of these loans that he turned into a permanent move as Oldham Athletic signed him upon the expiry of his contract at Carrow Road.

This is where he first came into contact with Lee Johnson and, despite his youthful age, the manager opted to make Smith the club captain.

A season at Boundary Park earned Smith his stripes, and it was Steve Cotterill who brought him to Bristol City, securing his services on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Korey Smith becomes a key cog in Bristol City's success

Arriving at a team that had massively under-performed the previous season, the pressure was on Smith and his teammates to deliver for the Ashton Gate faithful.

Thrust straight into the action, he immediately forged a formidable partnership with Marlon Pack, and it took 17 games before any team in League One managed to defeat the Robins.

A few setbacks following that did occur, but it was evident that City were the best team in the league and the league table represented that following the conclusion of the season, as Cotterill's side finished top with 99 points.

In the final weeks of the campaign, City firmly cemented their dominance, with Smith playing his part by providing two assists in their resounding 8-2 victory over Walsall on the final day of the season.

That wasn’t their only piece of silverware, as the Robins also lifted the EFL Trophy - a cup run sparked by Smith’s brace in a 3-1 victory over Cheltenham Town in the opening round.

That memorable night at Ashton Gate

Stepping up to the second tier, Smith remained a key figure under both Cotterill and Johnson, but it was in the EFL Cup that he truly etched his name into Bristol City folklore.

A run that began with a first-round victory over Plymouth Argyle featured several memorable moments, but none more so than that electrifying night against Manchester United at Ashton Gate.

Entering the quarter-finals of the competition, Smith knew that his side had a chance to write their name into the history books as they welcomed José Mourinho's side to their home turf. They started on the front foot and that continued for much of the game as they were eventually rewarded with the opener as Joe Bryan fired in a delightful effort from a tight angle.

United responded as expected, with Zlatan Ibrahimović drawing them level with a trademark free-kick, seemingly setting the stage for extra time. But in the dying moments of stoppage time, up stepped the ever-reliable Smith to etch his name into Robins folklore. Exchanging a slick one-two with Matt Taylor, he controlled the return pass brilliantly on his chest before swivelling and drilling the ball past Sergio Romero into the bottom corner. Ashton Gate erupted, and in that moment Smith became a living legend to the red side of Bristol.

This was to prove his last decisive moment in a Bristol City shirt, as over the following seasons, injuries hampered his ability to aid his teammates.