Pahars making peace with his past

Striker Marians Pahars has rediscovered his passion for football after returning to Latvia to play for Skonto FC, but admits that he has pangs for the Premier League, telling uefa.com: "Of course, I miss England."

Cult celebrity
Now 32, the 75-times capped Pahars has every right to be called a living legend in Latvian football, as one of the stars of the side that qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™ under Aleksandrs Starkovs. However, the last few seasons have been unkind to the striker, who had enjoyed cult celebrity in England with Southampton FC before injuries set in.

Injury ravages
Having left Skonto for Southampton in 1998, Pahars got the chance to play in the English top division for several years, prior to the Saints' relegation in 2005. He scored 43 goals in 137 league games for the club, but injuries ruined his later seasons, prompting him to join Anorthosis Famagusta FC in 2006 and then return to Skonto this year.

War wounds
"Of course, I miss England," Pahars told uefa.com. "It's really hard to explain what you feel when playing in England. It's a pity my career won't end the way it could have; all those injuries. Every player has new injuries after 30, and those injuries are bothering me now. The old ones? I am used to them, so I don't even pay attention to those pains."

'Nice to be back'
While other players might have been tempted to give up, Pahars has enjoyed returning home, and has scored eight goals in 16 league games in 2008. "Skonto will be my last club," he said. "I am really happy to be playing football every week and doing this at home. I started my career in the Latvian league, and it is nice to be back."

Changing times
When Pahars left, Skonto were midway through their European record 14-year run of domestic titles, but they have not taken the crown since 2004, and are four points behind reigning champions FK Ventspils in the race for this season's honours. "Skonto are not favourites anymore, like in the old days," conceded Pahars.

Same feeling
"In every match you have to give 100 per cent, but even that doesn't guarantee us a victory," he added, noting how competitive the league has become. "I like playing here and feel the same emotion as ten years ago. I have bags of experience but I'm still nervous before the first whistle. I would have already quit if that feeling had gone away."

Long view
Whether he will go into coaching after he retires is a question that Pahars is still pondering, though he conceded that he "cannot imagine not being involved in football". For the moment, he is just enjoying his game. "Right now, I want to play next season as well," he said. "We'll see. But I'm just happy to be enjoying my football again."