MARIAN Pahars has declared himself fit for Euro 2004.
The Saints striker is training with Latvia after recovering from the groin injury which kept him out of the last four games of the season.
Pahars had been sidelined for much of the previous 18 months with a succession of ankle and groin problems, but showed glimpses of his class this season during 16 appearances for Saints.
The 27-year-old initially feared that the latest injury could ruin his Euro 2004 dream, but he is now in good spirits ahead of the biggest few weeks in Latvia's footballing history.
He said: "I am now back in full training and feeling good.
"There is no problem with the injury. I feel fit and strong and I am improving all the time. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that there are no more set-backs.
"It was an up-and-down season for me - better than the previous one where I hardly played at all, but I still did not figure as much as I would have liked.
"But it does mean that I am not too tired going into this tournament. I feel fresh and ready to get going."
Pahars is now limbering up for some warm-up games.
He added: "We play a couple of Latvian club sides and then meet Azerbaijan on June 6 so, hopefully, I will be able to build up match fitness in those games.
"We fly out to Portugal on June 10 and I think we have a practice match against a club side there just to help us acclimatise ready for our first match against the Czech Republic on June 15.
"We are in the hardest group so we know it will be incredibly tough to qualify but you never know.
"The excitement is mounting here, not just for the fans and the players but also the press. There has never been so much interest in the national team.
"I am used to it to a certain extent at Southampton but we have never known so many journalists with the national side.
"We have magazines from Holland and Germany and all over Europe all wanting interviews. We have never known anything like it.
"And the fans are getting worked up too. It is a huge thing for our country to be part of these finals.
"For Latvia it is the equivalent of Brazil winning the World Cup - that's how much it means to everyone. I can't wait for it all to start."
Saints have confirmed a fifth pre-season friendly.
They will meet Swindon at the County Ground on Tuesday, August 3, kick-off 7.45pm.
That follows the trip to Plymouth on Saturday, July 31 and a three-match tour of Sweden from July 20-28.
Saints, meanwhile, have denied any interest in Ipswich midfielder Jermaine Wright.
Chairman Rupert Lowe said: "It is just agent talk. We have heard he is available but he is not top of the list."
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