YOURI Djorkaeff has quashed doubts over his fitness for Premiership action insisting: "I have never been so fit."

The 33-year-old French World Cup winner, who joined Wanderers on Tuesday after being released by German club Kaiserslautern, has played only four games in the Bundesliga this season - the consequence of a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury and having recently been frozen out by coach Andreas Brehme.

His decision to join Wanderers raised a few eyebrows on the continent but the former Inter Milan, PSG and Monaco star says: "The choice is surprising but it suits me well. On the pitch, I will be free. I want to score goals. I have never been so fit and I am really eager to discover this new championship."

Djorkaeff - apparently not a man to mince his words - has been quoted as saying he expects to be Wanderers' "saviour" after signing a contract that will keep him at the Reebok for the rest of the season.

"I decided to sign for Bolton because I felt the club needed me. I am expected as their little saviour.

"The manager visited me in Germany, he told me he relied on me and told me I would be a first team member."

Frank Leboeuf has no doubts about his international colleague's finess.

He wanted Djorkaeff to join him at Marseille before the French transfer window was closed and reckoned: "We don't have a true playmaker. We need someone capable of giving good passes to the strikers and Youri is this kind of player.

"He is gifted and he has proved he can score goals. He could be a great help to us."

Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside, who completed the ambitious transfer late on Tuesday night, testified to the Frenchman's fitness when he said: "It was probably the quickest medical I've ever seen done. Mark Taylor, the physion, came in and said he'd never seen anybody look so good.

"In terms of physical fitness he is fine and mentally ... the first thing he did was sit down and work out how many points we need to get into the UEFA Cup!"