Beattie ready to fire on his Balkan return

For James Beattie, a swift return to the Balkans means an opportunity to taste an occasion he merely sampled from the sidelines on Saturday.

The striker was an unused member of Sven Goran Eriksson's England squad in fiery Istanbul. But tonight, in the smaller if equally intimidating Ghencea Stadium, Beattie is determined to lead Southampton past Steaua Bucharest and into the second round of the UEFA Cup.

Unlike England, a draw will not be enough for Gordon Strachan's men, unless by a score of 2-2 or higher following the 1-1 result at St Mary's Stadium. But Beattie, his appetite whetted, holds no fear for the task.

'Saturday was an awesome experience,' he said. 'The stadium was nearly full at three o'clock in the afternoon. The game didn't kick off until eight. When we went out on to the pitch in our suits at about halfpast six, the reception Kieron Dyer, Joe Cole and myself got was something I'd never experienced before.

'But it was great. I'd have loved to have been out there playing. We walked out to the middle of the pitch, I started clapping to the fans and they went crazy. If there's anything from that night I can input into the team against Steaua, I'll do it. If the atmosphere's anything like that in Bucharest, I'm sure it will get us going.'

All nine of Southampton's goals this season have come from Beattie or Kevin Phillips. With four regulars missing through injury tonight, the Premiership side's reliance on their strike partnership promises to be even heavier than usual.