Smith eager to stay and fight for place

May 15 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

ALAN Smith is not looking for an escape route out of Newcastle United this summer despite reports the striker is a transfer target for Middlesbrough and Glasgow Rangers.

Smith is one of the favourites to leave St James’s Park before the start of next season as he is no longer guaranteed first-team football by manager Kevin Keegan.

The England international only decided to leave Manchester United last summer because he did not want to be a squad player, but having been a virtual ever-present under former manager Sam Allardyce, Keegan has dropped him from his first-choice XI.

Nevertheless, despite the speculation that he will want to find a new club, Smith is not agitating for a move with those close to him insisting the 27-year-old is happy to fight for his place on Tyneside rather than leave.

His agent, Alex Black, said: “There were a lot of clubs interested in Alan (last summer) but whether clubs are or aren’t interested in Alan doesn’t matter. Alan is happy where he is.”

That may well be the case for the time being, but it remains to be seen if Smith will be content to stay on the periphery of things in the long term.

Although Smith has lost his place in the side to Mark Viduka, the big Australian’s notorious injury problems mean that he is still likely to get his fair share of first-team football at St James’s Park if he does elect to stay.

However, when Viduka was ruled out of the trip to Everton last weekend by the Achilles injury which could sideline him for the next six months, teenager Andy Carroll was preferred up front to Smith, who played in midfield in the absence of Joey Barton.

Carroll is highly rated by Keegan and his coaches and there were signs over the last few weeks of the campaign the 19-year-old has moved ahead of Smith in the pecking order. That will not sit well with the former England international and the early indications are that the Magpies will also look to bring in at least one new attacking player over the summer.

They have already been heavily linked with Saint Etienne’s Bafetimbi Gomis, while Paris-Saint Germain striker Amara Diane revealed yesterday that he would like to move to United.

Keegan, Terry McDermott and executive

director (football) Dennis Wise were all in Paris last weekend to watch PSG take on St Etienne and Diane claimed that there have been talks about his possible transfer between the clubs in the last few days.

He said: “Kevin Keegan is a dream coach, his team always plays offensive football and playing in England would be a great opportunity.

“I know there is some contact between the two clubs and if an agreement is reached, I will go to Newcastle. To play with Michael Owen would be great and there is also Obafemi Martins who is a top striker.

“The Premier League is attractive and some of my Ivorian friends are there, so I would be in good company.”

Those comments will cause some concern in the Smith camp, as will claims that Keegan has been told to trim the wage bill this summer.

Smith, who still has plenty of admirers in English football despite failing to score a league goal since October 2005, is on more than £60,000-a-week at St James’s Park. The former Leeds United star would also command a sizeable transfer fee, which would enable Keegan to increase his own transfer budget.

However, Newcastle’s manager is adamant he does not want to sell anyone over the summer as he wants to expand the squad rather than weaken it. He said: “I want to keep all my players and add to them if I can.

“Anyone that goes will be a bit of a blow, especially if something like that happens late on in the summer.”