BRETT Ormerod would like nothing more than to show his boyhood heroes they were wrong to reject him.

The problem is getting the opportunity to do it.

Ormerod has bounced back in brilliant style since Blackburn Rovers released him in 1996, forging a route through non-league with Accrington Stanley and the lower divisions at Blackpool before securing his dream move to the Premiership with Southampton.

But in two and a half years since, he's only started two games against Rovers and the chance to wreak revenge was cruelly snatched away from him last season.

With big money summer signing Kevin Phillips struggling for form, Ormerod was all set to take his place in the attack alongside James Beattie for the visit of Blackburn last October -but fell ill.

So it's no surprise that when the teams meet at St Mary's tomorrow, Ormerod is so keen to retain his place in the Saints' starting line-up.

"Last year I was meant to be playing but I fell ill on the Friday so that was disappointing," said Ormerod.

"Then when we came up here Phillips and Beattie were playing. So I hope I will get a chance this Saturday."

But it's not just for some childish desire to thumb his nose at the boys who kicked him out of the Premiership playground as a teenager all those years ago.

For Ormerod - who went to school at Rishton's Norden High - it's more about re-establishing himself at the club in the face of some stiff competition for places.

With Beattie struggling to recover from injury there's a good chance Ormerod could retain his place for tomorrow's game and he was encouraged to make Paul Sturrock's starting line-up for the opener at Aston Villa.

"There's a lot of competition for places and that goes for all clubs now," said Ormerod. "Marian Pahars and James Beattie are injured but there's still three strikers, so there's a lot of good players vying for two places.

"Last season it was mainly Beattie and Phillips. I scored a few goals in the games I played in and had a good goalscoring ratio but towards the end I fell ill again and that knocked me off my feet.

"From then on they were flying and it was hard to get back in the team, so compared to the year before, last season was probably a bit stop-start.

"This season I hope to get a few more appearances."

Last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Villa has given Ormerod and his team-mates the incentive to get their home campaign off to a flying start.

But he knows that Rovers will also be looking to put an opening day disappointment behind them after struggling to a 1-1 draw with West Brom.

"It was a disappointing start so we'll be looking to put that right on Saturday," said Ormerod.

"We didn't play to our standards and Villa did, so they deserved to win. But we've been working hard to try and change it round.

"It's the first home game and we'll get some good support down there and hope we can give them something to cheer about.

"Blackburn are always a good footballing side and have some good players. We treat them like we treat every other team because there's no easy games whichever way you look at it.

"Sometimes when you get beat, the next game can't come quickly enough.

"Blackburn had a disappointing result for them at home and will be looking to put it right on Saturday, the same as us."