Former Manchester United defender John O'Kane has branded the late Walter Smith a "horrible c***" in a fiery social media post, blaming the Scot for his Everton exit.
O'Kane, born in Nottingham, began his career at Manchester United in 1993 but made only two appearances for the club. He spent most of his five-year spell on loan at Wimbledon, Bury, Wrexham and Bradford City before moving to Everton in 1998.
Everton Exit and Smith's Arrival
Howard Kendall signed O'Kane for Everton, where he quickly became a regular starter. However, when Kendall was sacked and Smith took over as his successor, O'Kane was dropped and sent on loan to Burnley and Bolton Wanderers, joining the latter permanently in 1999.
Now, O'Kane has made his feelings clear about his former manager at Goodison Park. A fan praising O'Kane wrote on X: "Should never have been allowed to leave Everton. Could have been our RB for 10 years. Proper rated him for us."
Social Media Response
That prompted O'Kane to reply: "That would be down to Walter Smith pal... Didn't wanna know me from the off, he was a horrible c*** idc about saying it. Loved my time with Howard Kendal and the fans were brilliant."
O'Kane went on to spend two years with Bolton before joining Blackpool in 2001. He joined Hyde United in 2003, making 116 appearances before retiring three years later.
Smith's Later Career
Smith lasted four years at Everton, replaced by David Moyes in 2002 after the Toffees finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table for three consecutive seasons. He then briefly served as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant before taking charge of the Scotland national team in 2004. In 2007, he returned to Rangers for a second stint, guiding them to three league titles and five domestic cups. Smith, born in Lanark, died from cancer in 2021 at the age of 73.
