JAMES BEATTIE has spoken for the first time about his Euro 2004 heartache and confesses he's puzzled. "Sven's never called me," he says.

Beattie admits he has been hurt to not even to get a phone call to tell him he had missed out on England's squad to play in Portugal this summer.

The St Mary's striker, preparing to face Newcastle in the Sky-televised match tomorrow (2pm) stopped short of saying he would never get back into the England squad while Sven-Goran Eriksson remained in charge.

But he confessed it will take a huge effort to win an international recall.

Beattie, whose last England appearance was in the 3-2 loss to Denmark at Old Trafford last November, said: "If I'm playing well and scoring goals then Mr Eriksson will pick me.

"What disappointed me most was when I was left out of the Euro 2004 squad I didn't get a phone call or anything like that to say 'maybe if you did this better or you improved on this then you'd fit into my side.'

"That's what disappointed me most.

"I haven't heard anything from England for about six months."

He added: "If I get 50 goals this year I'll probably get in!

"As it showed before, goals got me in there first time so I don't see why I can't do it again.

"I'd like to think there was a space for a striker of my type, but it's a question only Mr Eriksson can answer."

Speculation raged all summer linking Beattie with moves to Newcastle, Charlton, Tottenham and Villa with the latter placing a £6m bid last month that was rejected by Saints.

Villa boss David O'Leary has hinted he will be back in for Beattie when the transfer window re-opens in January - at which point the striker will only have 18 months left on his current contract.

And Charlton boss Alan Curbishley last Monday refused to rule out a move for Beattie in January either.

However, Beattie said: "I feel good, I've always felt good. I'm more than happy at Southampton Football Club and I'm here until the chairman rings and tells me otherwise.

"It wasn't unsettling on the pitch - speculation is just speculation.

"The Villa thing was real and it was there but I managed to put it out of my head.

"Obviously the other lads are going to read what's going on but when I was playing there was no problem at all.

"As I've said before, I'm very happy at Southampton and I will remain happy until the chairman tells me otherwise."

Beattie also denied reports of dressing room unrest at the club and added: "Over the last couple of months it's been documented in the press that there's been unrest and upheaval at the club.

"But I can categorically state that's not the case and if you watch training you'll know everybody's enjoying themselves.

"We're happy with the gaffer now, we've had a few meetings and put things right and everything's good - as the performance showed on Monday."