Football: Le Tissier's race to be part of Hoddle's plan

Matthew Le Tissier is back among the goals but knows he still has a long way to go before returning to Glenn Hoddle's World Cup squad. Martin Lipton on a realistic Saint.

Matt Le Tissier yesterday conceded he is a few lengths behind the field in the most important race of his career. But the Southampton player finally feels he is under starter's orders.

And after proving just what he can bring to England's World Cup party at Barnsley last night, the Channel Islander is convinced he can come from behind to claim a place in Glenn Hoddle's thinking.

"It's a start," said Le Tissier of his wonder volley that saw him flick the ball over Arjan de Zeeuw before crashing in from 25 yards. "But there will have to be a few more of them before the season's out to convince the manager that I'm worth a place.

"As far as I'm concerned it's up to me to show I deserve to force my way back in. There's a lot of players who have done well since I've been out. They've probably edged ahead of me in the pecking order. Now it's down to me to fight my way back."

Le Tissier's England fortunes have waned since Hoddle picked him for the home defeat by Italy, and a series of injuries meant he has not featured since.

However, Le Tissier still believes he can play a massive part for Hoddle in France next summer, a feeling not harmed when Hoddle's assistant, John Gorman, yesterday stressed that the door remains wide open, adding: "Nobody is ruled in or out yet."

Le Tissier's Southampton team-mate Kevin Davies, whose late goal moved Saints through to the last 16, has no doubts. "He's unbelievable and the goal summed him up," the teenager said. "We found out on the coach that it was his 29th birthday and we all knew he'd do something special - he writes his own scripts!

"If you've got a player with that much ability he should definitely be in the squad next summer. He's just a natural."

Le Tissier's smile showed how much the goal meant to him, even though his response to the suggestion that he cannot have scored many better was: "Yeah, I have!"

He added: "It was a good strike. Once I flicked it over the defender it fell so nicely I had a surge of confidence and as soon as I hit it I knew it was going in the back of the net.

"I've got some catching up on that front though as well, with the goals Steve McManaman and Dennis Bergkamp have been scoring. "What Bergkamp did to get 1-2-3 in goal of the month was some achievement and it will probably never be matched again - but it won't stop me trying."

But what Le Tissier needs above all now is an injury-free spell after his summer was disrupted by an elbow problem.

"I'm getting over the injury," he said. "All I want now is to get a decent run of games behind me to get myself 100 per cent.

"It's still not there yet, and I'm getting little strains while I'm getting used to the pace of the game again. Hopefully, the major things are behind me and I can look forward to the rest of the season."