Local forward who's scored a bagful in the youth ranks and reserves continues his education in the first team – and Latics hope the goals will start flowing for the first team soon
Born locally in Chadderton – the area after which Boundary Park's popular home end is named – the young striker broke into the Oldham first team in the second half of the 2006/07 season, making his debut in a 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth after scoring a hatful of goals for the club’s youth team.
Smalley signed a new deal with the club in the summer of 2007, and was given greater opportunities by Sheridan during Oldham’s 2007/08 campaign, scoring his first Latics goal in a 4-1 Carling Cup mauling of Mansfield. Although he wasn't a regular goalscorer in his first full season, the 6ft frontman was often delpoyed in wide midfield and finished the season with a bang, scoring twice in Oldham’s final two matches against Cheltenham and Crewe.