Having had the summer to work with his squad, big things are expected of Wednesday in the year ahead, and McKenna believes being part of that could tempt Smith into staying with the club, despite the advances of the League One new boys.
“If he did go to League One and was playing regularly, I think he would be hitting 20 goals,” McKenna said
“He proved with us in League One that he was a very capable striker at that level and if he gets regular game time with Wrexham – who should be challenging at the top of the division – it could be another chance to show what he can do at that level.
“I think at 32 it’s good to get the chance of regular football again, so he might want to think about that, and think about where the future lies with Wrexham, and whether he thinks he will be going on to the Championship with them.
“Whether he is happy to remain at Wednesday and be the bench option, I think his body language against Plymouth was hinting that he is still a happy man at Hillsborough, and he would love to be part of what Danny Rohl is creating.
Despite only registering four goals in the previous campaign, Smith’s influence on the side was more than just his strike rate last season, with his presence in the final third helping his side rescue points when they were chasing games.
With his physicality in the penalty area causing plenty of mayhem for opposing defences, the attacker will have played his part in helping Rohl mastermind the turnaround at Hillsborough that saw the side maintain their status as a Championship side.
With the Owls already holding a 3-0 advantage, the big man was thrown on for the last eight minutes of the game, and still managed to make an impact, as he noted the final goal in the 4-0 victory, to send his side to the top of the division after match day one.
That brief cameo would have served as a reminder to the home fans that the 32-year-old can do a job for the side, despite their new approach under Rohl, and Sunday’s showing has had McKenna rethinking his position on the striker’s future at the club.
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