JAMES BEATTIE is hoping to use his sudden England Under-21 call-up as a launch-pad to propel him back into the Saints side at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The club's Player of the Year has not kicked a ball in anger since fracturing ribs and puncturing a lung in a freak fall on the eve of the season.

The battling striker came through a reserve game against the Australian Olympic XI on Thursday but was setting his sights only on the trip to Boro' when he was suddenly drafted in for the game at the Petro Stadium in Plock.

And with Francis Jeffers joining Howard Wilkinson's growing casualty list, Beattie has high hopes of playing at least part of the game to put himself in contention for Saturday.

He said: "The gaffer rang me on Sunday morning to say I had been called up for Poland. I was half asleep and thought it was one of my mates winding me up!

"He told me to go and get a few days training and sharpness with England and hopefully also a bit of the game.

"That means I should be back in the reckoning for Middlesbrough which was my aim after coming through the game against the Aussies.

"We did not play too well but it was a personal victory for me just to get through 90 minutes. I took a few bangs which helped me get my confidence.

"I was always hoping to be back in for Middlesbrough but I had resigned myself to missing the England game so this call-up is a real bonus.

"With a new coach in charge, it is nice to know I am still in their thoughts and hopefully I will get at least part of the game."

England have already won their group but will be looking to maintain their hugely-impressive 100 per cent record. They have won all seven matches scoring 22 goals and not con-ceding any.

That run includes a 5-0 drubbing of the Poles at The Dell in March when Beattie made his first start for the Under-21 side.

Saints boss Dave Jones said: "This call-up will give James a big mental lift and he will be better off going with England than he would have been playing in our reserves tomorrow so we agreed to let him go."

Southampton will not be signing German goalkeeper Marc Ziegler. The VFB Stuttgart trialist played in the 4-1 defeat by the Australian Olympic XI but has now returned home.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.