GARY Speed is shaping up to have a long last laugh at the critics who reckon he is over the hill.

The Reebok backroom staff has produced statistics on the 34-year-old midfielder that would flatter a man 10 years younger.

Now Sam Allardyce is predicting his so-called "veteran" could still be performing at the highest level for many years to come.

"At the moment he looks like he could play for much longer than the two years of his contract with us," the Wanderers boss said. "He can go on as long as he wants.

"His ProZone stats are off the map," they are awesome.

Allardyce, who had no hesitation in paying Newcastle United the full £750,000 asking price, never doubted Speed's footballing talent, or his vast knowledge of the Premiership and, knowing he had played 61 first class games last season, he fancied he was still physically fit. But he has been amazed by the data his fitness experts have produced.

"I'd say he was born with a great talent, not just for football but for fitness," the manager said

"He must have a bigger lung capacity than any normal human being. Football has developed that but I think he was born with it.

"For somebody at 34 to still run like a 24-year-old is pretty huge. It's a great advantage."

The fact that Speed has enjoyed a relatively injury-free career with Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Wales suggests he should miss very few games for Wanderers, which makes him good value at less than a million.

Allardyce knew he was tempting fate so he made a great play of touching the wooden desk he was sitting at when he said: "There's the injury prone player and then you've got Gary Speed.

"As time goes on we get better equipped on the fitness side but when you see somebody as fit as Gary, you know it's just a natural talent."

Speed picked up his 81st

international cap when he captained Wales to a 2-0 win in Latvia on Wednesday, just 11 short of Neville

Southall's all-time record, which he could overtake in October next year if he continues to figure in Mark Hughes' plans.

Allardyce is confident that he will still be going strong but he believes playing for one of the lesser lights of international football has prevented him establishing himself as a world class performer.

"The only thing that has stopped him having a much higher profile than he has is that he plays for Wales and has never played in World Cup Finals or European Championship Finals.

"If he had done, he would have been held in even higher esteem than he is now."

Speed could have been lining up on the opposite side tomorrow, had Fulham manager Chris Coleman not dragged his feet.

He was hotly tipped to team up with Coleman, a former international team-mate, until Allardyce swooped to pull off what he considers one the most impressive transfer coups of his managerial career.

"Fulham were reasonably well down the line with it when I nipped in," he added. "I think it worked in our favour that we rang the Newcastle chairman (Freddy Shepherd) and basically gave him just what he wanted."