If you read the article, this is the quote.
“I did say that,” he admits. “I've also learned to never say never in football. When I said it I was young and naive and never thought that a) Man United would ever want me and b) Leeds would ever sell me. Look how silly I was.”
As for criticism, I would have been a fool if I thought that would never have happened,” Smith explains. “I'd been at the club when Eric left to go to Old Trafford. I was ball boy the day he came back and scored at the Kop and saw the feelings that day.
“I spoke to Sir Alex and he said: 'I never thought you'd be brave enough to make that decision.' But the Leeds I left wasn't the Leeds I knew. There were people in charge of the club who I didn't like. I went to meetings and saw some bizarre things, with me being touted about to the highest bidder.
"I had the chance to go from a team who'd been relegated to the champions of the country. Arguably the greatest club manager ever wanted me. How could I turn that down?"
I'll stick with what Smith said himself rather than what some journalist suspects happened.
It's really not difficult to grasp. Had Smith refused to sign for us there is nothing the Leeds hierarchy could have done and would have had to either keep him (which was the last thing they wanted because they were asset stripping the club), or accept a lower offer (what they would have done because they were asset stripping the club).
There isn't a single player who could be forced to sign for a club against their will, and no club in their right mind would complete a signing of a player who didn't want to join and was resistant to the whole thing. If Smith hadn't expressed and interest Fergie would have walked away.
Anyway we've derailed this thread enough, if you still cant accept it was ultimately the players decision there's not much more evidence I can provide other than direct quotes from the player in question and not some journalists interpretation.