STEVE Harmison is determined to make sure he has many one-day internationals and Test matches in front of him, but the Ashington Express admits there is a price to pay every time he goes out to play for his country.

The 27-year-old paceman only recently returned to the international set-up following his latest battle with shin splints, and admitted pain has become part and parcel of his playing career.

But with competition for places in the England side intensifying, Harmison is happy to play through the pain barrier to cement his place in the one-day set-up.

''I'm not bowling totally pain-free because there is still a little bit in there, but I have had pain all the time in the ten years I've been playing first-class cricket," admitted the Durham bowler, who is expected to spearhead his country's attack at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.

''I have always had pain, it's just the degree of pain.

"The pain I've had recently has been different to that I have had previously.

"The pain I had in India was around the bone and previously it was in the muscle, but I'm happy with the way my shins are now."

A fully-fit Harmison will no doubt be essential if England are to hold on to the Ashes this winter and the Newcastle United supporter may even spend some time training with his beloved Magpies again ahead of this winter's tour Down Under.

He spent a lengthy spell at the Newcastle United training ground, at Little Benton, before the tour to South Africa in 2004 - a time which he both enjoyed and benefited enormously from.

''It was good being in a different sporting environment of a professional football club at Newcastle United and mixing with some different sportsmen - and I felt very strong because of it.'' said Harmison.

''The first time I was there it took a couple of weeks for them to take to me and to get to know me. But they were great with me."

The typical working life of a fast bowler involves some degree of pain management, with lower back and knee problems traditionally the bane of the quickie.

Harmison has endured more than his fair share of complaints and he even managed to dislocate his shoulder when he caught his hand in his pocket while bowling in his younger days.

But he has been plagued by shin problems for years - a condition he treats with ice and medication.

The paceman missed the third Test in India and the one-day internationals because of the problem, and his lack of match fitness forced England chairman of selectors, David Graveney, to ignore him for the whole of this summer's recent Test series against the Sri Lankans.

But Durham's gain at that news has been limited by England's decision to withdraw him from county duty for several games.

That has allowed him to rest up and he admits he has benefited from his time on the sidelines.

''I have put up with it and put up with it and managed it by putting ice on it or having anti-inflammatories and it's been fine," said Harmison.

''This was a different sort of pain.

"It wasn't a stress fracture but they more-or-less said that if I had have carried on going it would have ended up that way."

While he's been out the likes of Durham team-mate Liam Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood and Jon Lewis have all staked claims, and Harmison believes that can only be good for the future of English cricket.

''The one thing we need is competition,'' said Harmison.

''We have always had a good 11 players but then if we have lost two or three players it has weakened the side, but now we have got all bases covered.

''I think Duncan (Fletcher) has got an A and B team covering nearly one to 11.

"He has got one-to-11 A side and one-to-ten B side because I don't think you can ever replace Andrew Flintoff, but everybody else he's got cover for which is what we want."

With the cricket World Cup on the horizon, Harmison needs to be back to his best ahead of next year's jamboree in the West Indies.

There remain question marks over his fitness and there will be plenty of hard work ahead for the Northumbrian to ensure that his one-day place is guaranteed.

But Harmison is in no doubt the current England squad can be a force to be reckoned with next year - they start their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in St Lucia on Friday March 16.

Harmison himself has fond memories of the West Indies - it was there he announced himself on the world stage with 23 wickets in a four Test series two years ago.

Harmison said: "There is a lot of young talent in our squad and we know we are working towards the World Cup.

''With the experience we can pick up between now and then there is every reason to believe we will be a threat in that tournament.''