Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Robbie will drive the Premiership
HE got a taste for top-flight football as a youngster but L i a m Sm it h fe e l s he is ret urni ng to t he Premiership with Dundee United a better player.
The 24-year-old defender, who shone at right-back as United won the Championship title last season, enjoyed two terms in the top tier with Hearts.
A chunk of Smith’s 38 Jambos appearances came under Tangerines boss Robbie Neilson before he dropped down to the Championship with St Mirren, Ayr and the Terrors.
Smith admits he’s been itching to get back to the top table ever since.
“I have been desperate to get back,” he said.
“I have had a few seasons in the Championship and playing games regularly and now I feel ready to take the step back up.
“I have worked on my game and improved the areas I needed to look at and I feel I am going back as a more rounded player.
“I am looking to go back up and put my stamp on things. I am now a better player.”
And Smith feels it is not just he but the whole club that are more equipped for the rigours of the top flight.
Indeed, Smith believes the group have ambitions of challenging at the top end of the table.
He continued: “The plan of the manager was to put a team in place to get promotion and also so he didn’t need to make wholesale changes within the squad when we did go up.
“The teams who do well have been there for a number of years and, hopefully, we can add some more quality and experience.
“That would stand us in good stead.”
“Knowing where United have been in the past, the aim will be to get back to challenging at the higher end of the league.
“It is great you see that ambition from the manager and the sporting director.
“That will drive us on to do well back in the Premiership.”
In deciding to join United last summer, Smith insists Robbie’s presence in the dugout was an important factor.
And there were no surprises for the Fifer with Robbie’s tough training sessions laying the groundwork for title glory.
He commented: “It is important you know how the manager works and I know from past experiences that he liked me as a player.
“That played a part in my