He was released by Wanderers in the summer. In June 2004, Smith joined Port Vale on a one-year contract. He was a first team regular during his first season at the club and Vale offered Smith a new contract, which he accepted. Smith was again in and around the first team throughout the 2005–06 season, and signed a new one-year deal at the end of the campaign. Smith started the first half of the 2006–07 season very strongly, attracting interest from other clubs. In January 2007, Smith joined Carlisle United for a fee of £60,000 on a 2½ year contract. Smith made his Carlisle début in a goalless draw at Brentford, scoring his first goal at Doncaster Rovers a week later. He was injured in a 2–1 win over Luton Town after coming on as a substitute, causing him to be replaced himself. This was his last game of the campaign. Smith was released from Carlisle at the end of 2008–09 after having played just twenty games all season, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation out of League One. He was signed by League Two's Darlington manager Colin Todd in June 2009. Darlington had a poor season, relegated out of the English Football League, eighteen points from safety, losing 32 of their 46 games, the team managed to score just 33 goals. In July 2010 he went on trial at Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen, but was not offered a contract. The following month he signed a two-year contract with Olympic Charleroi of the Belgian Third Division B. After one season of football in Belgium he returned to England, and spent July 2011 on trial at Rotherham United. In November, he joined up with Whitby Town in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Darren Williams' "Seasiders" finished the 2011–12 season in 17th place, six points above the relegation zone. In July 2012, he signed with Celtic Nation of the Northern League Division One.