Former Liverpool defender John Scales says Newcastle United fans shouldn't underestimate Joe Kinnear's talent spotting ability.

Scales played for Kinnear at Wimbledon.

"He had a good track record in his Wimbledon days, that was a long time ago, but once you know football and have been in it for a while, that ability to spot a player does not desert you," Scales, 46, told BBC Sport.

"What he wants to see in a player is personality and mental attitude and commitment to being a top player.

"Football is as much about ability as it is about mental strength and I think that is probably what Joe is good at - being able to assess a player's attitude, what makes them tick and how they fit in at a club."