JOHN Smith (pictured) has been in the Argus five times already in his life. Four times he featured because he was in a school play and the fifth time was because he got a hole in one at the age of 13.

Today he is in the Argus because he is the screenwriter behind the new film Mike Bassett: England Manager, starring Ricky Tomlinson.

He has just seen this, his first major film, premiered in London. It is now showing at cinemas across the country.

John lived at Hendre Farm Drive, Ringland, Newport, until he was 18, and studied at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff before being lured by the bright lights of London.

The former Hartridge High School pupil said: "I trained as an actor between 1981 and 1984, but I was one of the worst actors so I switched careers and became a writer." Now a professional screen writer, who divides his time between London and Los Angeles, John co-wrote Mike Bassett with Rob Sprackling, whom he met while he was at college.

"It's a mock documentary about a journeyman manager who becomes manager of the England football team and leads his team to possible World Cup glory in Brazil," he said of the storyline.

Together with Rob, John has written for Hensons (The Muppet Show) in the USA and the UK. He also wrote the Channel Four sit-com Captain Butler, which starred Craig Charles, and Scotland v England, with Nick Hancock and Gordon Kennedy.

The 38-year-old also did unaccredited re-writing on the film Shooting Fish, and the forthcoming features The Abduction Club and Thunderpants.

As well as Mike Bassett, John and Rob now have several film credits to their name: Blackwater Zoo, Bitch Bitch Bitch, and Gnomeo and Juliet

John is currently working on Tortoise and Hare for a major film for the animation company Aardman, which brought us the likes of Wallace and Gromit.

He has had a number of articles published about Newport where his father, Roley Smith, still lives near the Glebelands. But he has no plans to return in the near future.