DUSAN Tadic has declared that he is finally back to full fitness – and believes he has learned the lessons from the injury that dogged him last season.

The playmaker scored in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Vitesse, as Saints began their season in style with a resounding victory in their opening Europa League fixture.

It followed an impressive pre-season for the Serbia international, as he bids to recapture the incredible form he showed at the start of the last campaign.

Tadic was sensational in the opening months of the season, but a troublesome groin injury affected him for much of the remainder of the term.

The 26-year-old believes he did not give himself adequate rest to let the problem heal – and insists he will do things differently now if he picks up a knock.

“I was really sad, because I have that problem a long time, like all half season, second part of the season,” he said.

“I have a big problem and finally I’m fit again and now I have more experience and I would do some things different, because I think maybe when I have some pain like last year I should maybe stop for maybe seven or ten days and then I would feel again better, but I didn’t stop and my problem was bigger and bigger.

“Then, for a couple of months, I have problem, but, ok, now I feel good and this is most important.”

At one point last season, Saints manager Ronald Koeman revealed he had told Tadic that he needed to take more rest, after even seeing him come into training on a day off.

Tadic confirmed the pair have spoken about it, but that his own mindset has already changed.

“Yes, we talk about that, but he knows I always like to play and to help my team and even if I have some pain they learn me like that, but I hope this year nothing’s going to happen, but if it happens I think I would think different,” he said.

Last season was the first time in Tadic’s career that he did not have a winter break, and that experience will hopefully stand him in good stead for the workload this season.

“Yes, but ok, this is normal, some things what you need to adapt, but this is not biggest problem I think,” he said.

“My problem was I need to, when I get injury, I should stop a little bit, like seven or ten days, and then I would feel again better, but I didn’t stop, I want to play and then the problem was bigger and bigger, and this was the biggest problem I think.”

After a dream start to the campaign, Tadic believes this could be a magical season for Saints.

“Yes, I hope it can be special, like last season,” he said. “We just need to work hard and to try to improve every day and that’s it – to work every day and, even if we win, we know that we have a lot of things to improve and we just need to try every day to be better and better.”