PAUL SMITH signed a two-year contract for Walsall at the weekend after last-ditch attempts to reach a compromise with Gillingham failed.

The club’s 33-year-old former captain and four times winner of the Player of the Year award had been involved in secret, week-long discussions with chairman Paul Scally and manager Neale Cooper in the hope of staying at Priestfield.

Despite coming under fire from the club and some supporters after refusing to accept a 70 per cent wage-cut, Smith harboured a wish to see out his playing days with Gillingham and last Sunday opened a dialogue with Mr Scally and then Cooper.

Talks remained on-going until late last week when the midfielder reluctantly accepted that he would never play for the club again.

He had been offered the job of player-coach at Bristol Rovers while Swindon thought they were on the verge of signing him.

But the last-minute intervention of former Gillingham team-mate Simon Osborn, now a member of Walsall’s back-room staff, took him to the Bescot Stadium.

After eight years with Gillingham, he admitted that leaving was a wrench.

He said: "At the Walsall press conference I put on their shirt and I have to say it felt weird after so long in the Gillingham one.

"But it’s a new chapter in my life which I’m looking forward to. Paul Merson, the Walsall manager, has made me feel welcome and having my old friend Simon Osborn at the club has been a big help."

Asked about last week’s talks with Gillingham, he disclosed: "I phoned the chairman last Sunday to see if we couldn’t sort out a deal. We started talking and I believed that something could be done whereby I stayed at the club.

"But it didn’t happen and after eight great years I’ve moved on from Gillingham.

"But to the people who have said such terrible things about me on website message boards, let me say my conscience is clear.

"The hard-core Gillingham supporters, who go home and away, know the score. After eight years, how can I be accused of disloyalty?

"Three times, Reading came in for me a few years ago and I said no. There was also an approach from Burnley."

He added: "When I had my medical at Walsall, the doctor was amazed to see on my records that I had averaged 40 games a season since 1992.

"And to those who have accused me of being over the hill, I see that David Eyres will be playing for Oldham next season at the age of 42."