Nemeth ready to cast off label of anonymous man

Szilard Nemeth claims the best thing about making a living in the Premiership is the anonymity that North-east England affords him. If Middlesbrough's Slovakian striker does his job to full effect today, it will disappear in a flash and he will be known as the man who dented his host country's Euro 2004 ambitions.

Not that he has any intention other than taking three points from Sven Goran Eriksson's side. "I know England will be favourites for the game but we do well at home," he said. "We are a little country, but we play really well against good teams in our home games and we will see. To play and score of course would be nice. A lot of people here have been having a bit of fun saying we will be beaten, but I say no."

Nemeth only ended up moving to the Riverside from Inter Bratislava after he had turned down a chance to join Sunderland. That deal fell through because of contract problems. "But once I spoke to Middlesbrough everything went through very quickly. Looking back, it was a good decision to join Boro and not Sunderland."

Last season did not go well, with Nemeth struggling with injuries, the language and the hurdles of a new country and a new league. He scored just three times in 21 league appearances. Steve McClaren's patience paid off, however, and Nemeth's form this season included scoring twice in the 3-0 derby win over Sunderland.

"The manager took me aside [in the summer] and said it would get better," Nemeth said. "That gave me confidence and after a good pre-season I feel I have improved." The recent success has brought a higher profile, but not yet – thankfully as far as the player is concerned – the kind if adulation he had to deal with back home.

"There is no way I could have the kind of life I have in Middlesbrough in Slovakia," he said. "I can go to restaurants without being pestered and I am really enjoying myself now." That enjoyment will now stretch to the international stage after a short hiatus when Nemeth fell out with Slovakia's national coach, Ladislav Jurkemik, who controversially omitted him from the squad which lost 3-0 defeat to Turkey in the opening Euro 2004 qualifier last month.

"I felt I was fit and three days after the game I scored twice against Sunderland. Unfortunately, the manager didn't pick me and you have to accept those decisions. I think he got a bit angry with me afterwards but I have been selected for this squad so hopefully everything will be OK now."

Today Nemeth comes face to face not just with McClaren – in his role as England coach – but his team-mates Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu. "He's very sharp, has a lot of pace and is quite strong," Southgate said. "He's one of those players who has the ability somehow to get out of tight situations with defenders. He's full of confidence at the moment. He's got a lot stronger." And if things go Nemeth's way today, he will be more (in)famous too.