of 1976 in the United States, playing 17 games on loan as a defender for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he continued his trademark toughness and earned the nickname, "The Tank". Back in Liverpool, Smith was left out of the side that started the 1976–77 season but, when Thompson picked up an injury in Liverpool's 1–0 win over Newcastle in the month of March, he was recalled and kept his place as the side went on to retain the League title. Smith then played in the 1977 FA Cup Final which Liverpool lost to bitter rivals Manchester United, thereby losing the chance of a treble, with the club's first European Cup final in Rome due a few days later. Despite the disappointment of the defeat at Wembley, Liverpool played magnificently to beat old UEFA Cup foes Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1, with Smith scoring a towering second-half header from a corner taken by Steve Heighway to make the score 2–1. It was his first goal of the season, and the 48th and final for the club. The BBC commentator Barry Davies described the goal with the words "It's Tommy Smith! Oh what an end to a career." Smith decided to delay his retirement and played a further season for Liverpool but missed the successful retention of the European Cup after he dropped a pickaxe on his foot, breaking his toe. He picked up a runners-up medal in Liverpool's first ever League Cup final after they lost a replay to Nottingham Forest. Later career He spent the summer of 1978 in the NASL with the Los Angeles Aztecs. He started as a player but became player/head coach halfway through the season. At the end of the season he was replaced by Dutch legend Rinus Michels. Smith left for Swansea City in 1978 after 638 games for Liverpool, receiving the MBE for services to football that same year. The Swans were being managed by his former Liverpool teammate John Toshack at the time and Smith helped Swansea to promotion from the Third Division. He retired from playing in 1979. International career Smith won ten caps for the England under-23 team, his first coming in a 0–0 draw with Czechoslovakia at Elland Road. He scored two goals, both penalties, against Scotland and Austria. He won just one full cap for England on 19 May 1971, in a 0–0 draw with Wales in a British Home