WAYNE BRIDGE can tonight take another step towards England's World Cup finals squad as Premiership interest in the talented defender increases.

Liverpool were today linked with the Winchester-born star and a possible £7million move to Anfield but Bridge only recently signed a two-year extension to his contract at St Mary's, tying him to the club until 2006.

Tottenham, Aston Villa and Leeds have all courted the talented left-back, who tonight lines up at Derby's Pride Park for England under-21s, in their play-off tie with Holland.

England boss, Sven-Goran Eriksson, is expected to be among the crowd for the game which, with the scores level after Friday's 2-2 first leg draw in Utrecht, offers Bridge and the rest of the team a great chance of making next year's European under-21 finals.

However, the 21-year-old Saints defender has put himself in the reckoning for making the senior squad. Many commentators reckon he could be given a first full cap in friendlies against either Holland or Italy next February before Eriksson has to name his 23-strong squad for the finals in Japan and Korea.

But Bridge, speaking from the England team hotel in Leicestershire, is playing it cool. He said: "I've not seen any of the newspapers where my name has been mentioned. I know that David Dunn and Michael Carrick have been touted, but I've just got to keep my head down and to continue playing well for the under-21s as well as for my club.

"Obviously I would love to think about going to the World Cup finals, but I know it is a big step for me."

Bridge has won seven England under-21 caps. The left side of defence has proved to be England's Achilles' heel, which gives Bridge an ideal chance of forcing himself up the pecking order. Arsenal's Ashley Cole is currently in pole position but the Saints player added: "I would love to get the chance to play for the senior side but, at the moment, I'm not thinking about it."