New year, new beginning. That's the target for Matthew Le Tissier who is hoping he can finally put a nightmare spell of injuries behind him in 2001.

Since breaking his arm on a pre-season tour of Germany three-and-a-half years ago, the Saints star has endured one problem after another.

On his day he is still one of the most effective creators and scorers of goals in the country but sadly those days have been few and far between while he has been laid up on the treatment table.

Glenn Hoddle drew up an intensive fitness programme which seemed to be paying dividends earlier in the season but then Le Tissier hurt a knee in a tackle with Manchester City defender Richard Dunne at the end of October.

He thought it would be a straightforward three-week lay-off, a reserve game for match practice and then back with a bang.

It put him out for two-and-a-half months but now at last he is back in full training and setting his sights on the reserve game at home to Charlton a week on Monday.

He said: "I had ten years when I was blessed and three when I have been cursed! I think I had one bad hamstring in a decade but the last couple of seasons have been so frustrating.

"Even this latest injury proved harder to shake off than I thought. I had a slight tear in the medial ligament which I thought would be a two or three-week job.

"Then they found a problem where the hamstring tendon joins the knee and almost as soon as that was better I tweaked it just above the original injury.

"It was three different injuries in one. Nothing is ever simple and I have had to learn the art of patience but it will make me appreciate it more when I get back.

"I just hope that a New Year might bring a change of luck. I have given up hoping for an injury-free year because it did not work the last time I wished for that!

"It is a big year for me with my contract up at the end of the season and there has been no word on another.

"But I am not even thinking about that right now. I just want to get myself fit and start playing again and then things should take care of themselves.

"I've no doubt if I'm fit and playing as well as I can I can earn a new contract but the most important thing is to get myself right and force my way back in the team.

"I feel good right now. I have done a lot of gym work to build up fitness and the knee feels strong. I have done some shooting this week and there were no problems so hopefully I can come through full training ready for the next reserve game."