Captain Jose Fonte is preparing to make his 200th league appearance for Saints against Hull City in the Premier League at St Mary’s today and admits that with a European place at stake the team will be playing with “no fear”.

The 31-year-old skipper is also hoping that he can help Ronald Koeman’s side to a strong finish, starting today by getting on the score-sheet himself, something he hasn’t done since Saints’ 1-0 victory against the Tigers at the KC Stadium 14 months ago.

“We play without fear because we have enough experience for the team to be relaxed,” Fonte explained.

“We know the job and the importance of the games, but this is football and you need to be relaxed to play your game and to be composed.

“We play with no pressure, we just need to do our job and give everything.

“That’s all we can do.”

The experienced skipper, who has led Saints to the best defensive record in the top-flight this term from the heart of the backline – conceding just 22 goals in 31 games, wants to give something back at the other end of the pitch.

But he knows his priority is marshalling the back four.

“It’s something that has been bothering me to be honest,” admitted Fonte, about his recent record in front of goal.

“I have been possibly putting too much pressure on myself and I need to stay cool about it.

“The most important thing for me is that we have the best defensive record in the league.

“Keeping clean-sheets makes me as happy as scoring goals.

“Obviously I want to finish the season getting on the score-sheet because everyone’s giving me a bit of a bad time in the dressing room.

“I’ll try my best, but the main thing is keeping clean-sheets and being the best defence.”

With seven games left Koeman’s side are still mathematically in with a shout of Champions League football and are ready to pounce on one the Europa League spots if that doesn’t happen.

Fonte is fired-up for the run-in and is ready to bounce-back from defeat at Everton last weekend.

“We know how many points difference [we have to make up to get in the Champions League places],” he said.

“It’s going to be really really hard, but you can’t give up.

“You need to take it game by game, so we need to focus on winning against Hull and see how we are next week.”

The Portuguese international, who made his first competitive appearance for his country in a European qualifier last week, arrived at St Mary’s in 2009 with the club in League One.

He achieved back-to-back promotions with the club and has epitomised the club’s rise through the ranks to their lofty seventh place in the Premier League.

But Fonte wants more than the 200 league appearances landmark he’ll reach today.

“It’s good, obviously,” he said. “The journey keeps going and that’s another mark, another step that I reach and obviously I’m proud of it.

“200! I hope there’s 200 more come.

“A couple of titles maybe?” he quipped, when asked what the next 200 games might bring. “But it’s got be Champions League football.

“That’s what I actually expect.

“I want to play European football and being involved in great games and in the Champions League.”

Fonte then turned his attentions to the Hull game today and is hoping Saints can go at them from the start.

“That’s what we’ve been doing lately at home,” he said. “Not only at home, but every game we start well.

“We’ve been trying to start really fast on the front foot, pressing and trying to get goals early, because that opens up the game and gives us more space to play and to play our football in our style.

“We’ll be trying to do that, start fast and always be aware of the dangers they have. They have good players.

“They have guys that can score goals.

“We’re aware of that, we know it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re preparing ourselves to get the three points because we still have a lot to play for.”