Two years later Smith was playing part-time for Bishop Auckland while working as a postman in his native Middlesbrough, when he was offered a trial at Bolton Wanderers. After impressing Bolton manager Sam Allardyce Smith was offered a contract at the club, which had just been promoted to the Premiership. Although he played a handful of times at Bolton, Smith failed to make the first team squad on a regular basis. But he had succeeded in becoming a professional footballer once again and, after a series of loan moves, he left Bolton to join Port Vale where he became a first team regular for the first time.