Football: LARSSON: I NEED TO PLAY AT THE TOP; EXCLUSIVE: FLYING SWEDE'S READY FOR BATTLE TO BEAT DROP But in-demand Seb insists he wants to stay at St Andrew's.

Byline: By MAT KENDRICK

BIRMINGHAM'S Swedish superstar Seb Larsson admits Premier League football is crucial to his hopes of shining on the international stage.

But the player-of-the-year favourite insists he is committed to Blues and has not even contemplated what will happen if they get relegated.

Larsson has been linked with a move away from St Andrew's to continue his top-flight progress if Alex McLeish's men fail to beat the drop.

Former Birmingham boss Steve Bruce is believed to be lining up a summer swoop to take the 22-year-old winger to Wigan Athletic.

But Larsson, who is set to win Blues' goal of the season award for the second year, is refusing to listen to speculation about his future.

"Of course it's massively important that we make sure we stay up," he said. "Personally, the Premier League is where I want to be.

"I want nothing more than to be in the Premier League with Birmingham.

"I'm very grateful to Birmingham for my chance and it's very important that we stay up.

"I don't think any one of our players wants to go back and play in the Championship.

"I haven't even thought about that or what would happen if we went down.

"I'm extremely happy here, I'm contracted to Birmingham, I'm a Birmingham player and there's nothing more I can say about that."

Having helped Birmingham to promotion from the Championship last season, Larsson has used his first season in the Premier League to propel himself into international football.

And he believes starring in Blues' survival struggle has boosted rather than hindered his hopes of being selected for Sweden's Euro 2008 campaign this summer.

Larsson is convinced that his personal performances for his club have shown his international manager Lars Lagerback that he can triumph in the face of adversity.

Back home the former Arsenal trainee's fine form has prompted readers of a leading Scandinavian newspaper to vote him their Swedish player of the year.

"Whether we're down the bottom or towards the top of the Premier League at Birmingham we're still playing the same teams and I'm still facing the same players week in, week out," he said.

"I'm sure it won't affect things for me with Sweden too much for the simple reason that I have been playing every week.

"I haven't been home much so I'm not sure of how I'm thought of back there, but the Premier League is massive there.

"When you get a Sweden player scoring a few goals or whatever people tend to get interested in that player.

"But I haven't had girls screaming outside my window or anything yet - it's been quite calm!"

Larsson graduated from the under-21s to win his first full cap in Sweden's friendly against Turkey in Istanbul in March, playing the whole 90 minutes.

And Birmingham's set-piece specialist is being widely tipped to book a place for this summer's tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

"I've got into the national team, played a couple of times and there's been a little bit of hype since then," said Larsson.

"I'm not thinking about Euro 2008 at the moment because I've only got Birmingham in my head.

"If I do get into the Sweden squad I want to go over there, be involved and play in the games I don't just want to be part of the squad."

Larsson's solo strike against Sheffield Wednesday to secure promotion to the Premier League last May was named as Blues' goal of the season. And his wonder winner in McLeish's first match in charge away at Tottenham in December is expected to scoop the gong for this year's best goal.

It is those kind of finishes, along with his all-action attacking displays and disciplined defending which have put him in front for the player-of-the-season accolades.

But Larsson insists that the individual honours will count for nothing if Birmingham succumb to the dreaded drop in their first season back in the big-time.

"Of course it will be a massive honour for me," he said. "If people appreciate what you do, especially playing at this level, then it's one of the biggest honours of my career.

"At the same time, with the situation that we're in, if we didn't stay up then it wouldn't count for much, but I'm confident we're going to stay up."

Larsson's form on the right wing has been so impressive that Daniel De Ridder hasn't had a look in since playing in the embarrassing FA Cup exit at Huddersfield in January Much was expected of the flying Dutchman when he was signed by Bruce last summer, but De Ridder has flattered to deceive with hit and miss displays in a Blues shirt.

DeRidder broke his silence to moan about his lack of opportunities earlier this week and Larsson understands his team-mate's frustrations.

But, despite their precarious position, Birmingham as an attacking unit have continued to fire all season with Larsson one of their biggest threats.

"It's up to the manager who he plays," added Larsson. "Daniel is a very good player and if I didn't play I would be disappointed, but it doesn't mean that he's angry.

"I've just tried to do what I do best which is getting forward, creating goals and trying to score a few goals."

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CAPTION(S):

TARGET: Seb Larsson; RIVALS: Seb Larsson and left, Daniel De Ridder