DAVID PRUTTON is hoping for many happy returns at Charlton tonight

The £2.5m man has fond recollections of The Valley, having scored his only competitive goal for the club there in the final game of last season.

And he is hoping for a repeat performance tonight to mark his 23rd birthday, which he quietly celebrated yesterday.

He said: "It was nice to get a goal but it would be nice to have a slightly nicer memory as we ended up losing that game.

"Now we want to get a win under our belts - we want to put a few things right.

"It's been a long while since we've played and as a footballer you want these games to prove yourself and the kick-off really can't come quick enough.

"We've had a break of more than 10 days and any longer than that and it can be quite tough.

"But the training here is very physically demanding which keeps you up at a very high level of fitness."

Prutton continued: "My last game seems like a long time ago, but that can be good because it will feel like a fresh start for some players who can look at the training in that time to prove yourself again."

Prutton has been an ever-present in Saints' midfield this season but one man he won't be facing in the centre tonight is Matt Holland.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder Holland is still recovering from an ankle injury while striker Shaun Bartlett is also not match-fit after recovering from ankle ligament damage.

Prutton added: "Charlton are not exactly one of the biggest clubs but they've got a fantastic fan base and they work very hard at what they do."