PER Frandsen, who never missed a game last time Wanderers were in the Premiership, has carried on where he left off in May 98.

The great Dane looked a shadow of his former self last season when he returned from his "exile" at Blackburn but at Filbert Street on Saturday he was back to his influential best.

Touted by the tabloids for a summer move to Derby amid rumours of a rift with Sam Allardyce, Frandsen outclassed Leicester's so-called "dynamic duo" of Dennis Wise and Robbie Savage with a sensational midfield display - scoring two of Wanderers' five opening day goals with trademark free kicks and having a hand in the two Kevin Nolan scored on his memorable top flight debut. "He was absolutely outstanding!" Allardyce acknowledged.

"His contribution to the first goal was fantastic. I think everybody had switched off and nobody thought he was going to get to that ball when he slid and put a super cross in, which was finished with a superb header from Kevin.

"Goals change games and he changed the game in our favour putting pressure on Leicester in front of their own fans"

Frandsen has ignored all talk of transfers during the summer months and has recently been discussing an enhanced contract. On the field he has looked leaner, meaner and doubly determined to make his mark in the Premiership once again.

Allardyce says fitness and confidence are the keys.

"Per came back as a player who had been bombed out at Blackburn at the time," the manager explained. "He was suffering from a lack of confidence and was not as fit as he used to be. But then, as the season went on, he played a major part - 35 games last year.

"This season we've asked everybody to get that little bit stronger because we are going to need that in our game. We're going to be put under enormous pressure at times and we need to be able to cope. That overall fitness of our players shone through on Saturday."