CHERRIES boss Andoni Iraola hailed club stalwart Adam Smith for “an amazing season” as he shared his belief that anyone who wants to start over the veteran at right-back has to be at a “very good level”.

After passing the milestone of 10 years as a permanent Cherry in January, defender Smith made his 200th top-flight appearance in Cherries’ comeback win over Luton Town last week.

Now 32, Smith has 366 appearances for Cherries across two different spells.

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Despite the arrival of fellow right-back Max Aarons this season, Smith has made 19 Premier League appearances.

Whilst Aarons’ availability has been limited by injury, head coach Iraola believes that any challenger for the right-back berth will have to be at the top of their game, such is the quality Smith is providing for Cherries this term.

He told the Daily Echo: “I think he's doing an amazing season.

“He is someone very, very reliable.

“You know that if someone is going to take his spot, he has to be very good.

“Adam Smith gives you that.

“If there is someone we have that is going to perform better and he will be our second right-back, it’s because he has to do it very well, because Adam Smith has a very good level.

“He is technically a very good player.

“He doesn't make big mistakes.

“He's focused 90 minutes.

“Physically, he's in a very, very good place.

“He's defending very, very difficult matchups.

“I remember the other day against (Jeremy) Doku, against difficult matchups, difficult one against one situations where he's doing really well.

“Normally when you see a player and he has played in the Premier League, 200, 300 or 400 games normally is because behind there is a substance there.

“They don't give games in the Premier League (just) because.

“No, no, because there is something behind.

“Now that you coach him and I see him training every day, you understand why these things happen.”

Smith, a double-promotion winner to the Premier League with Cherries, has a contract that currently runs until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Asked how long he felt Smith could carry on playing for, former right-back Iraola continued: “I don't know, it's different.

“I left playing with 34, I was done.

“I didn't have any legs, I guarantee you.

“But I don't see Adam Smith in this place. I see him with more legs than I had.

“I think also he likes to come to training and he will be the one deciding.

“Once you arrive to this stage in your career, I think the best thing is to say, let's take it year to year – ‘I feel good, I have good sensations’.

“I think it's the correct way to do it.”