By Jon Murray DENIS Smith revealed today what a tough job he had trying to persuade Premiership clubs that Matt Elliott really was the business.

As the Scotland centre back continued to receive lavish praise for his two goals and outstanding performance in Leicester's 2-1 Worthington Cup final victory over Tranmere, Smith declared: "I always said he was special."

The Oxford United manager was the one who, in his first spell at the Manor, signed Elliott from Scunthorpe for £150,000 and then, just under four years later, sold him to Leicester for £1.6m.

Those who watched the player week in and week out had no doubt about Elliott's qualities, but Premiership scouts and managers seemed harder to convince.

"We used to get Premiership scouts coming to our games all the time then," Smith said. "But they'd look at him and look at him and not be sure."

Glasgow Rangers were watching him a lot and were keen, but in the end it was really just between Southampton and Leicester. I felt if he'd stayed on until the end of the season, he might have got a bigger club but, having said that, he couldn't have done any better than he's done at Leicester." Equally comfortable at centre forward as centre back, Elliott has done more than anyone to help Leicester back into Europe, scoring the goal that got them to Wembley as well as the match-winning two on Sunday that broke Tranmere and former Oxford hero John Aldridge's heart.

With the range and accuracy of his passing, his power and control in the air, his tackling, his reading of the game, his leadership qualities and not least his prolific goals, Elliott has turned out to be the complete footballer.

"It makes me laugh to hear people go on about how good his passing has suddenly become," Smith said. "It was always good. He could hit fantastic long balls from centre back and was always a good passer of the ball."

Smith said he watched the Worthington Cup final and was very pleased for his former player, saying: "He's a genuinely super guy."

Although Elliott has experienced some big European nights with Leicester and big occasions with Scotland, he was cup-tied when Leicester won the League Cup in 1997, having played for Oxford United against Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale and Southampton in their great run in that season's competition. Leicester boss Martin O'Neill said: "Matt is priceless to us, like five or six others - colossal. I'm pleased he won a medal."

A dominant centre half performance and Elliott's strength of character were, ironically, what was sadly missing from the current United side as they crashed 4-1 to Wrexham last Saturday, but Smith will be glad to have Mark Watson available after Canada's success in lifting the Gold Cup in Los Angeles.

"He probably won't be back with us until Thursday," said United's manager, who has put off a theatre appointment tomorrow night to take a closer look at some of his fringe players in the reserves against Ipswich.

"I was supposed to be going to the theatre but I'll now be at the reserve game," he said, clearly blaming his first-team players for having to change the plans on his social calendar. "I've worked with the players in training but I'll get a better look at those who are challenging for places in a game like this," he said.

Among those who will be especially eager to shine is South African Andre Arendse, recently back from the African Nations Cup, who comes back into contention more after Paul Lundin's lapse against Wrexham.

Story date: Tuesday 29 February

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