In October 2001 he was appointed manager of Wrexham, but was unable to steer the club away from relegation in 2001–02. He won promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt in 2002–03, but Wrexham entered administration in December 2004 and the resulting points deduction saw them relegated once more. Despite the financial problems he managed the club to the Football League Trophy title in 2005, in addition to two successive FAW Premier Cup wins in 2002 and 2003. He was dismissed in January 2007, months after the club exited administration. He married in October 1967 and has three children. Early life Denis Smith was born in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, the second youngest of seven siblings. At just three years old he formed his own gang, stating in his autobiography that "if we wanted to play in the sandpit we played in the sandpit", and continued to lead his gang through junior and senior years at Sandon Road Junior School. Despite being involved with gangs since his early childhood he grew out of the culture by the age of ten, and as a teenager formed friendships outside of his local council estate. He turned down the chance to sit the eleven plus exam as local grammar school Longton High was a rugby-playing school, and so instead attended Queensbury Road School, with whom he won the Stoke Schools Trophy; he also played for the Stoke-on-Trent Schoolboys (who were coached by former England international Dennis Wilshaw). At the age of 15 he became Staffordshire County boxing champion. He was only at the age of 14, but a late growth spurt took him to just under six feet, and was therefore tall enough to play centre-back as a professional footballer. He was offered an apprenticeship by Portsmouth, but turned it down as he wanted to sign for his local club Stoke City, who initially were not willing to take him on as an apprentice. They only allowed him to train with the 'A' team twice a week as an amateur whilst he initially worked as a plumber's mate, and later as a factory worker at Stone Lotus. Playing career Stoke City Smith signed for Stoke City in September 1966 after telling manager Tony Waddington that he was going to sign a contract at another club; though Waddington was not keen on Smith's hard-tackling style, he did not want to lose the young player.