Johan Elmander is hoping that a full pre-season schedule will result in Bolton Wanderers supporters seeing the best of him during the course of the forthcoming Barclays Premier League campaign.

The Swedish striker has been hard at work since the squad returned after the summer break, and has admitted that he is already feeling the benefits of the extensive training in Bolton, Austria and now Holland.

"I'm really looking forward to the start of the new season," Elmander exclusively told the official website from the club's pre-season base in Holland.

"Hopefully I will be to play my natural game and show the Bolton Wanderers fans that I am a good footballer.

"We have all had a good two weeks and I'm feeling very fit and much stronger - I feel more prepared now than I was for the start of last season."

Two hamstring injuries affected the 28-year-old's progress during his debut year in English football, and he is now aiming to use last season's experiences to his advantage this time round.

He added: "Staying injury free is massively important. Last season I started very well but unfortunately I got injured in the second league match. When I felt that I was back in business, it happened again and I had to start right back at the beginning.

"At the end of the season I felt that I was getting closer and closer to being the real Johan Elmander. I now know what I have to do for this coming season in the Premier League."

Elmander also explained that he is excited at the prospect of competing in matches again, as the squad prepare for the first pre-season friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday afternoon.

He said: "It's going to be interesting to see what happens on Saturday because Monchengladbach are a good team. It will be a difficult game, but we have done a lot of work on our fitness and that is important."