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Smith is valuable - Keegan
Newcastle United, 09:48, August 11, 2008 ,
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan insists forward Alan Smith is a valuable member of his squad after he was booed during the Valencia win.
The fringe England international was turned on by his own supporters as links persist with a switch to Premier League rivals Everton before the end of the month.
And while Keegan claims the Toon Army have every right to voice their dissent from the terraces, he also thinks they have got it wrong over Smith.
Keegan told The Sun: "Alan Smith is a Newcastle player and that's it. He covers in a lot of positions, is a great lad around the place - and whole-hearted.
"He may not always be the best player on the pitch, but no one will try harder."
However, Keegan added: "I'm not going to try and tell this crowd what to do. It's a very knowledgeable crowd. They're the first to cheer if a player scores a goal and sometimes they show their feelings.
"They've got every right to do that, they pay their money."