I’m a Premier League cult hero who played for England opponents Latvia, now I’m working for Arsene Wenger

FRESH off Thomas Tuchel’s bow against Albania, England have another first on Monday when they face minnows Latvia.

The Baltic state have been competing as their own nation ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall and yet have never faced the Three Lions.

But that will change at Wembley when Italian boss Paolo Nicolato and his side take on superstars like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford.

It is a daunting task and one that left Latvian legend Marian Pahars admitting: “It’s difficult to even describe them facing that kind of opponent . . . I’m quite happy just to be a spectator!”;

Latvia have always been up against it when facing Europe’s big beasts — including in Pahars’ heyday — but now more than ever.

On Friday night, a 58th-minute Dario Sits goal gave them a 1-0 away win over Andorra to put them second behind England in World Cup qualifying Group K.

But their current Fifa world ranking is 140th, sandwiching them between Burundi and the Dominican Republic.

Just seven European sides are ranked below them — Lithuania, Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar Liechtenstein and, officially the worst footballing nation on the planet, San Marino.

Latvia have been as high as 45th and even qualified for Euro 2004.

While an 18-year-old Wayne Rooney was ripping it up at that tournament in Portugal, Latvia were recording their greatest-ever result with a 0-0 against Germany, even if they did fail to make it out of their group.

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Their squad contained four players who were either playing or had played in the Premier League.

But there is no one of their standard in Nicolato’s squad now.

Former Southampton forward Pahars was possibly the biggest success story of that contingent, having made 129 Premier League appearances for Saints between 1998-2005, scoring 42 goals.

Igors Stepanovs could also lay claim to that title, having won the Double with Arsenal in 2002, even if he only played 17 times in England’s top flight.

Pahars, 48, is now working for legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger as one of Fifa’s high- performance specialists, focusing on Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Lithuania.

He said: “I don’t like comparisons between generations but we had characters in the team. Now it’s less, unfortunately.

“We had bigger names than me in that team, guys who were winning European trophies, Stepanovs representing Arsenal at the time.

“We had leaders in every line, in goal, defence, midfield and strikers.

“We were very confident because we played in good clubs, in good leagues.

“So we didn’t have any fear. We played against the same level of opponents in each game.

It’s difficult to even describe them facing that kind of opponent . . . I’m quite happy just to be a spectator!

Marian Pahars, on Latvia facing England

“Whereas now, a lot of them are from the local league, they don’t have big international experience.

“They don’t have confidence to compete on that level and it is why we don’t see the big players yet.”;

Captain Kristers Tobers, 24, who plays for Aberdeen, is probably Latvia’s most high-profile player — but he is out with a leg injury.

Nicolato’s side have won just three of their last 21 games since November 2022, when they were playing in the Baltic Cup while England were at the World Cup.

And two of those victories came against the Faroe Islands, with the other versus Armenia.

Pahars added: “We understand who we play. We’re not stupid.

“We know a good game would give us appreciation from the fans, a good fight, not conceding as long as possible, to be in the game.

“That also can make England nervous a little bit, if they don’t score for a long time.”;