OFFERS FOR ALAN SMITH WILL BE RESISTED
ALAN Smith is not for sale according to Alan Pardew - but he might yet be pressed into emergency striking duty for Newcastle United.
Smith has been linked with a move away from St James' Park during the January transfer window and Simon Grayson, boss of his former club Leeds, admits he would be interested in the midfielder if he became available.
But with United's squad already stretched to breaking point by a raft of Christmas injuries, it is highly unlikely that Pardew will entertain offers for a player who is seen as key to Newcastle's dressing room unity.
Smith also offers an option in several different positions, with Pardew having told him that he would consider playing him up front if he suffers any more knocks to his threadbare squad.
"Alan's been injured, and wasn't involved on the bench on Wednesday. He had an injury but he will be in and around (the team)," he said.
"He's an important person in this group. He's a good character around the dressing room, he's strong, he knows these sort of games and he'll definitely be in the dressing room come what may. I like Alan. He's got 18 months to run here and I'm sure he will want to see that 18 months out.
"He's had to change his game with injuries and the age he's at, but that doesn't mean to say he can't play a more forward role.
"I just said to him I'll use him where I think we might benefit from him and don't rule that out.
"That's basically the message I gave him.
"I think it's got him excited, I think he wants to get up front now and get a hat-trick himself, if he's got one in the locker somewhere!"
Meanwhile, Pardew said there was no progress in his hunt for a number two after suffering a knock-back from Bradford boss Peter Taylor earlier in the month.
"Nothing really has happened. Obviously when things are going well you look at why it's going well," he said.
"Steve Stone and Wille Donachie have done a superb job here under my stewardship and I'm really pleased with them and I'm trying to think of somebody that's going to fit in and not disrupt it.
"Finding that person, who's not going to bring baggage with them because you know we've got a really good thing going on here at the moment (is important).
"And when we're doing well the necessity isn't that great."
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