Former Northern Ireland international turned pundit Conor Washington has taken a deep dive into Michael Smith’s way of play.

The striker has proven to be a smart signing for Mansfield Town so far in his maiden season, with six League One goals scored.

Nigel Clough admitted he was surprised Smith was available to sign over the summer, given his pedigree in both the Championship and League One.

The 35-year-old joined Stags as a free agent from Preston North End in July, as part of their attacking restructure.

Mansfield Town forward Michael Smith celebrates his first half goal during the Sky Bet League 1 match against Blackpool FC at Bloomfield Road, 24 Oct 2026, Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media

placeholder image — Mansfield Town forward Michael Smith celebrates his first half goal during the Sky Bet League 1 match against Blackpool FC at Bloomfield Road, 24 Oct 2026, Photo credit Chris & Jeanette Holloway / The Bigger Picture.media

Alongside his time spent with Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United over his career – teams he is often most recognised for – Smith has played for multiple other clubs, including a short loan spell with Newport County in 2012, where he played alongside Washington.

“I played with Smudge at Newport, so I know him well as a player, and he’s quite a unique striker really,” Washington said in his latest BestBettingBonuses column.

“For someone of his height, he’s got a bit of everything. He can run in behind, link play and be a real presence in the penalty area, and you don’t often get all three of those qualities in someone of his size. He’s scored goals consistently throughout his career and he’s incredibly robust, which is probably one of the biggest reasons he’s still able to play so regularly at his age.”

Smith has started 12 of Mansfield Town’s 13 League One games so far, having quickly established himself as a key part of Clough’s plans this season.

“I think the other thing people sometimes overlook with experienced players is how much their understanding of the game develops,” Washington continued. “With the amount of football Smudge has played, he’ll have seen pretty much every situation you can imagine, and that allows you to become much more efficient with your movement.

“You start recognising situations earlier, knowing when to make a run and when to save your energy, rather than constantly making runs that aren’t going to achieve anything. That game intelligence can compensate for some of the physical qualities you naturally lose as you get older.

“To be starting as regularly as he is and still having such an influence on games is really impressive, but knowing the type of player he is, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”