MAREK Saganowski is back at Saints and hungry to prove he is committed to the cause.

The Polish striker has returned from his loan spell with Danish club Aalborg keen to show he still has what it takes at Saints.

There will be massive pressure on Saganowski to score the goals to keep Saints in the Championship – starting with today’s crunch fixture against Barnsley at Oakwell.

He is the most experienced frontline striker by far in Jan Poortvliet’s mainly young squad.

“I feel hungry, I feel good,” said Saganowski.

“I just want to play.

“Jan has said to me ‘we need you’ and that is good for me.”

Saganowski will be hoping to recapture the form that first secured him a permanent move to Saints.

When he was on loan from Troyes, his ten goals in 13 Championship games helped Saints into the play-offs in 2006/07.

Included in that golden run was a hat-trick in the memorable 6-0 romp at Wolves.

A permanent move was concluded that summer but, since then, the goals have dried up somewhat.

In his first full season Saganowski scored three times in 30 games – 14 starts plus 16 from the bench – and while away with Aalborg Saganowski’s record was five in 24, which included six appearances in the Champions League.

He netted three goals in 13 Danish League appearances for Aalborg, but hasn’t played a match since the final Champions League qualifier against Manchester United at Old Trafford in mid-December.

“I am a striker and most of the people will expect goals from me and that’s it,” he said.

“Of course I believe Saints can stay in the Championship.

“I have seen the players and they have the skills.

“In the Championship first you have to be tough but if you are not you play football.

“The last time I was in the Championship there was Sunderland and West Brom who just played football and I think we will go this way.

“Now we just need the goals.”

There has been a lot of speculation over whether Saganowski will be at the club for the long term.

He is one of highest wage earners at Saints – on £8,000 a week – hence why he was shipped out to Aalborg in the first place.

Due to the complicated FIFA rules, Saganowski cannot now move abroad before the end of this transfer window but the option of a move within England remains open.

However, Saganowski insists he IS committed to Saints – for personal reasons as well as footballing ones.

“I want to stay because I feel something in my heart for this club,” he said.

“Second, my family feels much better here than in Denmark.

“The time when I left Saints, even if I was thinking about the Champions League, I tell people I want to stay here.”