GUDNI Bergsson is determined to go out on a high when he swaps his boots for a career in the law this summer.

The Reebok skipper knows the relegation odds are shortening but he remains confident that when he finally goes home to Iceland - after three false alarms - Wanderers will still be a Premiership club.

"That's my aim," says the veteran defender, who has vowed that this will be his swan-song season, "and I'm going to give 100 per cent to make sure I can go home and retire with a smile on my face."

Nothing would diminish Bergsson's contribution to the Wanderers' cause over the last eight years but relegation would be a bitter blow and a personal disappointment for a player who continues to pit his considerable talent and remarkable fitness against the best strikers in the land.

Nevertheless, the 37-year-old adopted Boltonian is well aware that the heat is on with Birmingham pulling themselves six points clear and third-from-bottom West Ham nudging to within goal difference.

"I would be lying if I didn't say that it doesn't concern you," he admitted, "because how other teams are doing will eventually make a difference in the final outcome.

"These last couple of weeks, victories for Birmingham and West Ham have increased the pressure on us and we have to deal with that. But we have to concentrate on ourselves.

"We are capable of going on a winning streak as we did last season and that is what we need to do in the remaining games because while we are not yet in the relegation zone, we are as close as you can possibly be."

Bergsson was bitterly disappointed with the way Wanderers performed against the new Worthington Cup winners at Anfield on Saturday and admits an all-round improvement is necessary in the remaining nine fixtures.

"It was a high tempo game and Liverpool looked relatively relaxed after their win at the Millennium Stadium and I don't think we took full advantage of that," he explained. "We didn't take the game to them as much as we should have done and that's something we have to address.

"I don't think they created that many chances but they don't need much space or much time to really punish you and in the end they punished us. I was disappointed because it was too comfortable a win for them."

With Sam Allardyce aiming for a minimum 38 points to ensure Wanderers' Premiership survival, Bergsson says the next three games will be critical - away to fellow strugglers Sunderland then successive home games against Spurs and Manchester City.

"They are all winnable games but we have to make sure we perform on those days," he added. "Whatever happens we have to make sure we give our best. If you can look at yourself and say you've done your best, the rest will look after itself.

"It's a case of how the team responds to this situation and whether we have the togetherness and the character to take it on.

"I like to believe we have that but we have to bring the best out of the squad and the team we've got. We've got some talented players in the side, there's no question about that, but with the talent you have to have a certain amount of grit and desire and we have to show that in every game."