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DONS have opened talks with marquee loan signing Alan Smith to try and make his switch to stadiummk a permanent one.

The former England midfielder made the shock move to the club from Newcastle in January and securing his signature on a permanent basis would be seen as an even bigger coup.

Smith, who does not have a future at Newcastle and would be available as a free agent, discussed becoming a permanent Don while playing golf with manager Karl Robinson at Wentworth.

Making the move would mean a significant wage cut and Smith does have other options at home and abroad.

However, Dons believe that the player is not solely motivated by money and Robinson’s comments last week – when he said that if he was at the club he was confident Smith would be – are also encouraging. 

Meanwhile the boss, and his new coaching team of Mick Harford and  IanWright, are hoping to tie up deals to bring new players in.

Robinson has insisted that nobody is for sale, no matter what transfer bids come in, and he wants a right back, a centre back and a striker in a larger squad of 22 players.

Loan recalls and injuries mean that Dons haven’t had a regular right-back this season, while a centre back would allow ShaunWilliams to push into the midfield. A new striker will provide assistance for Charlie MacDonald.

“We’re trying to get a few things done and dusted,” Robinson said. “We’re going through targets, speaking to agents and trying to get deals done.

“The reason I don’t want to sell is I want to build and make our strong team even better.

“There’s one or two clubs who are interested in two players, but we’ve got to make sure we keep our bottle.”

Sky Sports understands MK Dons have opened talks with Alan Smith about a permanent deal at Stadium:mk.

The former Leeds and Manchester United man is out of contract at Newcastle next month and he is expected to move on.

Smith spent the second half of last season with the Dons and made a big impression during his stay at the League One club.

The 31-year-old made 15 appearances and scored two goals as they lost out to Huddersfield in the play-off semi-finals.

Dons boss Karl Robinson is keen to keep Smith on board as he looks to mount another bid for promotion next season.

A number of other clubs are thought to be monitoring Smith’s situation as they weigh up a move for the former England international.

MK Dons have opened talks with Alan Smith about a permanent move.

Smith, 31, played 15 games on loan from Newcastle last season.

ALAN Smith is set to turn down a coaching role at Newcastle United after being confirmed as the first summer exit from St James’ Park.

The 31-year-old’s contract runs out on June 30 and he will be leaving the club that signed him for £6million after turning down an offer to return and start his coaching career in Newcastle’s Academy.

Instead Smith – who was popular in the United dressing room – wants to play on, although he remains close with boss Alan Pardew and neither party has ruled out a reunion in the future.

Newcastle are set to announce their detailed retained list at the start of next week and Smith has not been made an offer to stay at United.

Neither has striker Danish Peter Løvenkrands, although there remains some uncertainty about Danny Guthrie’s intentions, with a potential move to Aston Villa having stalled after Alex McLeish’s departure from the Second City club.

Another club that had interest in the former Liverpool trainee – West Brom – are also currently managerless and Newcastle have not withdrawn the contract offer that was turned down at the start of the year.

But Smith, who revealed to The Journal last month that he had been offered a role on the backroom team, will now be looking for pastures new.
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“It is safe to assume that Alan won’t be signing a new contract at Newcastle,” his agent Alex Black told The Journal yesterday.

“He was told when he left there is a coaching role there if he wants it but I don’t think that will happen.”

As well as the senior men, Newcastle also intend to release a raft of younger players with Tamas Kadar at the head of that list.

United have held talks with James Tavernier’s agent, though, and hope to keep him at the club. There is interest from Championship clubs in the right-back, who has been talked of as a potential first team player at St James’ Park.

Meanwhile, Yohan Cabaye (pictured right) believes that playing for Newcastle United has secured his Euro 2012 dream.

The France midfielder is set to start in France’s opener against England on June 11 and believes that the physical side of the Premier League has helped him to establish himself in Laurent Blanc’s first-team plans.

He said: “It’s definitely helped me being at Newcastle because there are a lot of great players and full internationals there.

“You come up against big teams all the time, strong teams, and there are no easy matches. I’ve learnt a lot.

“Playing in midfield in England is a real lung-buster. In France there’s a lot more emphasis on the tactical side of the game, but the full-on nature of football in the Premier League is really helpful when it comes to being ready to play at international level.” Although England go into the tournament looking a tad undercooked, Cabaye believes the Three Lions should be regarded as favourites in Group D.

“It’s a difficult group. Ukraine will be a strong team. They’re at home and that will count for a lot. We beat them last year, but it wasn’t at all easy.

“Then you’ve got Sweden, who are traditionally powerful and have one of the world’s great players in (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic.

“We’ll be going into the group looking to win our matches and we’ll be very determined. But for me, England are the favourites. After that we’ll see.”

By John Edwards
PUBLISHED: 22:30 GMT, 15 May 2012 | UPDATED: 00:01 GMT, 16 May 2012

Former Leeds striker Alan Smith had to be rescued by police after being attacked on his return to West Yorkshire at the Galpharm Stadium.

Taunted by Huddersfield fans after going on as a late substitute, Smith found himself in the midst of an angry mob during a pitch invasion at the end and was helped down the tunnel by police and his MK Dons manager Karl Robinson.

Escorted: Alan Smith leaves the field alongside Dons boss Karl Robinson

‘It was embarrassing,’ said Robinson who added the home fans were ‘magnificent’ in general but ‘a few muppets spat at (Smith) and kicked and punched him’.

Smith scored an injury-time consolation after Daniel Powell had cancelled out a strike from Huddersfield’s Jordan Rhodes.

After securing a League One play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday week, Huddersfield may now face sanctions for the incident involving Smith.

Chaos: Flares were also lit as Huddersfield fans celebrated

A brave MK Dons bowed out of the npower League 1 play-offs at the semi-final stage after losing out 3-2 to Huddersfield Town on aggregate over the two-legged tie.

Karl Robinson’s men battled their hardest, gave 110 per cent and had nothing left in the tank as they left the pitch as they won 2-1 on the night of the second leg, but ultimately the 2-0 defeat at stadiummk just three days earlier proved too difficult a task to overcome.

After goals from Jordan Rhodes and Jack Hunt had put the Terriers in the driving seat the Dons knew they had an uphill challenge travelling to the Galpharm Stadium and despite dominating the opening phases their evening was made all the more difficult when Rhodes opened the scoring.

However, the Dons refused to give up and when Daniel Powell fired in the equaliser of the night there was great hope for the visitors. A huge talking point from the game was when Sean Morrison appeared to foul Charlie MacDonald before half-time, but the penalty never came for the Dons.

Alan Smith’s header deep in injury time offered faint hopes but the Dons bowed out in the cruellest of ways and were left to review what has been a fantastic season for the Dons.

The Dons reverted to 4-3-3 formation with Jay O’Shea taking the place of Alan Smith who took a place on the bench after picking up a knock in the first leg.

The visitors made the trip to the Galpharm knowing goals were a must and in the first minute Dean Bowditch was presented with a route through to goal, taken off his stride once into the box he sprayed the ball to the feet of Charlie MacDonald but as the striker tried to drag the ball back from the left byline Terriers ‘keeper Ian Bennett intercepted.

It was a bright start from the Dons as they imposed their fluid passing style on the Galpharm pitch with plenty of promise going forward.

However forward-thinking the Dons wanted to be they also had to play with caution with the knowledge that a goal for the home side would make their task all the more difficult. When Rhodes found space down the left he found Lee Novak creeping into the edge of the box and when Shaun Williams failed to make a telling tackle the forward was able to fire a low shot wide of the post.

There was an urgency involved in the Dons’ play, they looked hungry and determined to make amends for the first leg defeat. Darren Potter managed to shake off the shackles in midfield as he stole possession to find Stephen Gleeson, who in turn supplied an excellent through ball to MacDonald.

The Dons striker was through on goal, yet Bennett made the brave decision to race off his line to take the ball away from MacDonald’s feet.

Huddersfield were happy to soak up the pressure and when opportunities came their way they were looking to punish the Dons. A free-kick deep in their half appeared to carry little danger as Jack Hunt sent a long punt up field, but when Danny Ward’s flick on found Rhodes the danger quickly appeared.

Rhodes’ movement allowed him to weave through the Dons defence before tucking a fine composed finish into the bottom corner and by doing so he took the aggregate score line to 3-0.

The score line on the night was harsh on the Dons, who had been the better team, but they had to galvanise in an attempt to register on the scoreboard. Dean Lewington spent most of his time camped in the Terriers’ half, and when he lofted the ball to O’Shea they were back on the attack.

Top goal scorer Bowditch was brought into play in a more central position and his swerving shot was deflected out for a corner.

Bowditch was again involved in more positive play for the Dons when he broke down the left byline, but MacDonald couldn’t get the flick on needed to turn the ball away. As Bennett tried to cover his goal the ‘keeper picked up an injury that forced him off the pitch and, after waiting some time to get ready, Alex Smithies took up position between the sticks.

The Dons were asking question of the Huddersfield defence and the nerves were starting to creep into the players on the pitch and the home fans. Relentless pressure was being piled on and the Dons deservedly got rewards when Adam Chicksen made inroads down the right to find Powell.

The tricky forward moved into space into the box and with great confidence fired a lovely finish into to bottom of Smithies’ net.

Robinson’s men then felt they should have had a penalty only minutes later when MacDonald appeared to be pushed by Sean Morrison as he attempted to head home a cross.

The second half began in the Dons’ favourites as they peppered the Terriers’ box with early pressure. MacDonald came within inches of netting a second for the Dons when he latched onto a through ball from Potter, who excellently picked up possession in the middle, but with Smithies beaten the former Brentford man saw his effort fall agonisingly wide of the post.

The man with the least to do in the game was Dons’ keeper Martin, but he kept their hopes alive as the hour mark approached when he made an excellent block from Kallim Higginbotham before tipping over Novak’s ferocious drive.

It was a patch of play that put the wind in the Terriers’ sails and the noise inside the stadium began to rise as the home side began to look more threatening. Ward in particular looked keen to add to Huddersfield’s advantage in the tie as he cut inside to curl a right-footed shot over the bar.

Town kept breaking on the counterattack as the Dons committed men forward. However, Town found it difficult to break through the Dons’ back four especially Williams who had turned in an awesome display at the heart of defence.

With the Dons running short of time Robinson made the bold move of opting for three in defence as Chicksen and Bowditch took their place on the bench while the attacking options were bolstered by the introduction of Luke Chadwick and Jabo Ibehre.

It meant the Dons had to be ultra sharp in defence but when Higginbotham launched a diagonal ball to Ward there was only Martin to beat, luckily for the dons he miscued his effort wide.

The Dons were desperate to find a second which would cause panic in the Town camp. First Alan Smith took the place of MacDonald and then Ibehre unleashed a wild shot over the bar.

At the death Ibehre was denied point-blank by Smithies and couldn’t dig out a second shot but a follow-up from Powell was tipped over the bar. From the resulting corner Smith’s diving header found its way through and he put the Dons within one goal of extra-time. Unfortunately time got the better of the Dons as Huddersfield booked their place in the final.

Huddersfield Town: Bennett (Smithies 35); Hunt, Morrison, P Clarke, Woods; Higginbotham (T Clarke 88), Johnson, Miller (Robinson 78), Ward; Rhodes, Novak.

Subs: Roberts, Lee.

Goal: Rhodes 18

MK Dons: Martin; Chicksen (Ibehre 72), MacKenzie, Williams, Lewington (c); Gleeson, Potter, O’Shea; Powell, MacDonald (Smith 81), Bowditch (Chadwick 72).

Subs: McLoughlin, Kouo-Doumbe.

Goals: Powell 40, Smith 90