DEXTER Blackstock would have been interested in a return to Saints if the club had matched the loan fee QPR had demanded.

The 22-year-old striker will line up against his old side on Sunday for Nottingham Forest, who he joined on loan in March.

He has scored twice in five games for the East Midlands outfit, after netting 12 for Rangers this term.

But, had things been different, it could have been Saints he was trying to fire to safety over the last few weeks.

“QPR wanted a certain amount of money for a loan deal, but Southampton couldn’t match it, so there wasn’t much to talk about in the end,” he told the Daily Echo.

“But if it had been possible I definitely would have considered it.”

Blackstock, who left Saints to join QPR in August 2006, admitted he was slightly relieved he wouldn’t have to score the goal that officially condemned Saints to relegation.

However, he is just as pleased Forest are assured of their Championship status going into the final weekend.

“I’m a little bit relieved, but then again I’m happy we got our jobs done before the last game,” he said.

“But we want to win.”

Blackstock – who famously scored his first Saints league goal in the 2-1 derby win agains Portsmouth at St Mary’s in November 2005 – added he was stunned at how far the club had fallen.

“It’s a shame the situation they’re in obviously,” he said. “I’m not too sure what’s gone wrong, but when I signed there they were a stable Premiership club, so to be on minus-ten in League One is crazy.

“It’s unbelievable, especially with the amount of money they have received for players like Kenwyne (Jones), Theo (Walcott), (James) Beattie and that.”

He added it was always a strange feeling lining up against his former team, particularly this season.

“It’s a bit of a strange feeling, especially with a lot of the young lads playing now,” he said.

“But that’s what you’ve got to do, go out and do your job.

“I keep in touch with quite a few of them, because we played for a long time together.

“I speak to some of them now and again, like David McGoldrick and Simon Gillett and a few of the other lads.”

Blackstock also backed Saints to make a swift return from League One – providing they keep hold of their best players.

“If they can keep the same players I think they will do well,” he said.

“It’s going to be very tough, but if they can keep hold of them that ten-point deduction can be overturned very quickly.”

Blackstock has already played against Saints twice this season.

He scored a brace when QPR caned Jan Poortvliet’s young side 4-1 at Loftus Road back in September, but he hardly got a sniff of goal in the 0-0 draw at St Mary’s in March.