IT WAS with an air of inevitability that Kevin Davies came back to haunt Saints and prove the point he was desperate to make in a red and white shirt last season.

Having been out in the cold under Gordon Strachan, Davies had the most humiliating of falls from grace when, just a few years after being sold for £7.5m, he was released for nothing last summer.

Davies felt hard done by, having not had a decent run under Strachan.

That was despite scoring the last-minute leveller against Millwall in the FA Cup fourth round tie at St Mary's that, with the benefit of hindsight, was worth over £4m to Saints!

But Davies picked himself up and got on with business again at Bolton, where Sam Allardyce has transformed him back into a top quality striker.

And on Saturday revenge was duly taken on Saints when Davies headed home Bolton's winner - his tenth goal of the season.

Davies - described by Saints boss Paul Sturrock as the "catalyst" behind Bolton's performances this season, said: "I work hard, and even when I was here last season I felt I deserved to play more games than I did.

"I've played every league game this season and I need to play games to get confidence and I scored a few early on and that helped.

"I'd have taken ten goals at the start of the season and a cup final thrown in - of course I would have having been released by Southampton, I'd have snapped your hand off.

"I see this as a comeback season for me and I have a lot more to go on and prove next season."

He continued: "The first half was disappointing for me and it took me a while to get into the pace of the game.

"Second half we came out fighting and I got myself wound up a little bit and I was delighted to see my goal go in.

"I'm pleased because I showed people here what I can do, but more importantly we wanted to get another away win.

"And to get a victory down here with the form Southampton are showing is a great result for us."

Davies - whose sole start for Saints last season was in the 6-1 league drubbig at Arsenal, though he also made 12 appearances from the bench - added: "We were disappointed to go in at half-time at 1-0 down.

"I'd had a great chance to score and they'd scored with a ball over the top which was disappointing because we played some good football in the first half.

"The weather dictated the pace of the game but we said at half- time that we'd create more chances in the second half and we had to take them."

Davies could soon be joined by another star name at the Reebok Stadium if Brazilian star Rivaldo, a former World Footballer of the Year, joins up.

"It's testimony to us and the way we're playing - and the manager has a lot to with that - that we can talk about players like Rivaldo coming," said Davies.

"It's a strange one really. We're not thinking about it too much until he signs, but even to be just holding talks with a player of that quality is amazing really and shows how well we're doing.

"He would be the biggest name to come in so far.

"I watched a few little highlights of him on Sky and some of the goals he's scored and his record speaks for itself - he's a World Cup winner."