Blues were reported to have lodged a bid between £5.75 and £7 million for the England international but Lorimer, now a director of the cash strapped Yorkshire side, says Leeds value Smith at almost twice that price. "Nobody has a bigger heart, he doesn't get injured and his temper is now under control. "He's in control of his game and it's invaluable to a club to know you've got a real battler for 40-odd games a year. "They talk about Michael Owen being valued at £25m. Nobody can tell me Alan isn't half as good as Owen, and everybody you talk to in the game cannot help but admire his attitude."
"When I see what Alan has to offer and what others have gone for, I put him as a £10m player in the current market," Lorimer says in todays Daily Mail newspaper.