Smith captained New Zealand during the two-leg playoff World Cup qualifying playoff defeat against Mexico, but was left disenchanted after being forced to miss an extra match for Ipswich Town.
While the 23-year-old wished to play in Town's 3-2 win at Blackpool the weekend before the first leg, Fifa rules saw him forced to sit out the clash.
The Herald on Sunday reported in December that Smith had threatened to retire from international duty in the fall-out of the All Whites' heavy defeat, and the player subsequently made himself unavailable for the team's friendly against Japan earlier this month.
The centre-back wouldn't be drawn on the nature of his discussions with team management but he made clear his frustration over the incident.
"International fixtures aren't meant to conflict with your club games and it really annoyed and disappointed me that they wouldn't allow me to play in that game (at Blackpool)," Smith told the East Anglian Daily Times.
"I haven't really got anything to say other than that. It all happened behind closed doors, we had a conversation and I don't really want to make that public at this stage."
Smith has won 27 caps for the All Whites and represented New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Olympics, but he admitted his loyalties lay with the club that paid his pages.
"It was a bit of a no-brainer for me. As much as I love playing for New Zealand, obviously my bread and butter is Ipswich Town and I want to do as well as I can for them in order to push for these promotion places."
Ipswich currently sit ninth in the English Championship, six points outside of the playoff places as they push for promotion to the Premier League. That position saw Smith and New Zealand Football come to an agreement over his absence for the Japan game, something he hopes can continue after a change in regime.
"It was only a friendly and, with the amount of games we had in March and the importance of those games, I thought it was vital to stay behind and make sure I am right physically and mentally for those games.
"New Zealand have an interim manager at the moment, Neil Emblen, and I know him quite well. I had a chat with him and he understood my situation. He was a player himself over here and knows the rigours of the league. He was quite understanding which bodes well for the future.
"There is a new CEO in charge of New Zealand Football now and ... they've said they want to put a policy into place which will make more sense to the clubs. Hopefully, going forwards, we won't have any of those sort of situations again."
But Smith will soon test the resolve of NZF to recall him for friendlies, saying he would sit out any game scheduled for June. While none has been formally arranged as yet, the All Whites may have to again make do without the services of their vice-captain.
"There's another friendly in June, but I don't think I'll attend that one either. I need a nice long summer break, hopefully with promotion under our belts if all goes well."
