Bolton defender Gretar Steinsson is treating his club's relegation battle like a chase for honours to help him deal with the nerve-jangling run-in at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

Steinsson had never tasted a relegation scrap before joining Bolton from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in January.

The Iceland international finished as a runner-up in both the league and cup during his spell in Holland and is now using that experience in his bid to keep Bolton out of the bottom three.

"It's difficult to come into this situation. I have never been in this situation before but it's still football and it's just like a going for the cup," Steinsson said.

"We have three games to go and you have to do better than the others. If you are fighting for the title you have to do better than the others and that's what we are going to do."

Bolton are seemingly battling it out with Fulham, Reading and Birmingham to avoid following Derby down into the Coca-Cola Championship and after winning their last two games have climbed out of the bottom three for the first time since the beginning of March.

"We have been in the situation of being in the relegation zone before and it's not very comfortable so we know how the others are feeling," Steinsson added.

"Winning two games in a row is not really common for us so we have to feel confident about the next couple of games. We have to keep on fighting. We don't have to look at the others. We have to play our game and get results."

Bolton visit Tottenham on Saturday before facing Sunderland and Chelsea in games that could decide their fate.

But Steinsson, 26, who fulfilled an ambition when moving to the Premier League during the transfer window, is not letting his focus drift by speculating about that might happen at the end of the season.

"The stakes are high and you don't want to make a mistake. But it's still football," he said. "If you do too much thinking about what's happening around the club or what will happen it will distract you and you will not be able to play and do what you are supposed to do.

"You have got your instructions and you have to go out and just do your job. That's what we are doing. We are doing what we are supposed to do and we will get results. I'm not thinking about the future."

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