ANDREAS JAKOBSSON is set for his first Saints start at Charlton tonight - and is hoping to help the team to their first clean sheet since last March.

Saints have not kept a blank in their last 12 Premiership matches and Jakobsson is ready to come into the centre of defence alongside Claus Lundekvam after having a week to settle in following his £1m transfer window deadline day move from Brondby.

The strapping 6ft 3in centre half could be the answer to Saints' frailties since the injury to Michael Svensson.

And Jakobsson describes the prospect of his debut in front of the live Sky TV cameras as "a dream coming true."

He said: "Every boy in Sweden wants to play in the Premiership.

"I think everything is good. I have been here for just a week and everything is great.

"It's good when you have some guys you know and you have to get into your house and the football club.

"It would be great to play. I don't know if I am. I just work hard in training and hope."

Jakobsson is the fourth Swede at St Mary's.

Anders Svensson started the mini influx in 2001 and he was followed by namesake Michael in 2002.

And in July of this year Mikael Nilsson was signed from Halmstad.

Jakobsson, who was first recommended to Saints by European scout Terry Cooper when Dave Jones was in charge, added: "I have talked a lot with Anders and Mikael about a lot of the players here and the training ground.

"They have told me everything's great.

"The team is good, the spirit's good and the training's good - that's very important because otherwise you won't play a good game.

"We all want to play - there are 28 or 30 players and you have to work hard for your chance to play.

"You need a fresh challenge sometimes. I am 31 and sometimes you need something to make you work harder and push you on to be a better football player."

Head coach Steve Wigley is also optimistic about Jakobsson's chances of shoring up the Saints defence after swooping for him and Tunisian international defender Alaeddine Yahia before the close of the transfer window.

Jakobbson has not had a chance to show what he can do yet while Yahia, who has been signed to fill the 'promising youngster' gap left by Fitz Hall, impressed on his debut in the 3-0 reserve win over Tottenham at St Mary's last Tuesday.

Wigley said: "We're a bit thin on the ground in that area with Michael being unfit. They're two different types of players.

"Yahia is more a player that we're looking to develop while Andreas Jakobsson has got pedigree and has played at the highest level.

"They've both come in and made an immediate impact.

"Yahia has been away with his country but Andreas has retired from international football and that's been a benefit to us obviously.

"He's had time to meet the team, get his wife over and things like that and he's settled very quickly."

Wigley, meanwhile, is aiming to improve on Saints' slow start to the season that has seen one win and three defeats.

"We're four games into the season and we'd like to get some more points on the board and get some more consistency into our play," he said.

"We're up against good opposition but that's the case every week in the Premiership.

"If we go there and if we play as well as we can then we're a match for anybody."

Wigley added: "For a successful season we've got to make sure we try to finish higher than we did last year.

"I'm not setting my sights anywhere else.

"Every year you have to try and improve on your position.

"I believe with this squad that's possible."