Former world record-holder Mark Foster believes he is more motivated ahead of his sixth Commonwealth Games than he was before his first appearance in 1986.

The 35-year-old heads for Melbourne for what is set to be his final Games appearance but insists his drive to succeed is more intense now than when he competed in Edinburgh as a teenager.

Foster said: "I think (I am motivated) more so really.

"Back then I was 15 when I made the team and I didn't really know what was going on.

"I swam when I was younger because I loved it - I never looked at it as a career long-term and now it's my job it's that much more important I do well if you like. Back then I was happy to be there whereas now I have to do a job.

"I do still really enjoy the experience. Back then I basically didn't know what was going on and was just enjoying myself."

Foster claimed bronze with the 4x100 metres freestyle squad in his first Games and since then he has amassed six more medals at Commonwealth level, including gold in the 50 metres freestyle in both 1994 and 1998.

Foster is not attaching any extra significance to the build-up to what he is reluctant to admit is his final Games.

"It may be my last Commonwealth Games so is it more special?" he said.

"I'll let you know when I get there because I get excited about every major meet. I love the challenge of standing on the block against seven other people and you all want to kick each other's backsides basically.

"That's what drives me - being number one and maintaining it or becoming number one."

The University of Bath swimmer is on form after claiming four medals, including gold in the 50m freestyle, at the European Short-Course Championships in Trieste.

However, Foster faces a stern challenge if he is to improve on his 2002 bronzes in the butterfly and freestyle sprints.

Awaiting him will be Roland Schoeman who pipped him to silver behind Australian Geoff Huegill in the 50m butterfly in Manchester four years ago.

Schoeman twice broke the world record en route to gold at last year's World Championships in Montreal as well as producing the second fastest 50m freestyle in history. He is also the defending Commonwealth champion.

Ryk Neethling, a member of the South African quartet with Schoeman that set a world record in the 4x100m freestyle at the Athens Olympics, Australian Brett Hawke, second in the 50m free in Manchester, and new British sprint freestyle record-holder Simon Burnett also await.

However, Foster is adamant he will thrive on being the underdog.

"In Commonwealth terms my events have always been some of the hardest but you can only beat who is in there," he said.

"I'm going into this against Schoeman as the underdog probably even more excited than as the top dog."

The former world champion is determined to enjoy his time in Melbourne, especially after failing to gain selection for the 2004 Olympics and the Montreal worlds.

He said: "I'd like to go the Commonwealth Games and enjoy it because it will be my sixth and I've been swimming for Great Britain for 20 years and I think I've got 46 major international medals, maybe more.

"The way I'd love to finish it is get a couple of medals at the Commonwealths and get a couple at the world short course (in Shanghai in April) and then who knows? I might say that's it, I might carry on.

"The difficult thing at the moment is that I'm in the best form of my life so I don't want to stop."

Foster insists the Commonwealth Games are vital to the development of younger swimmers who he would be happy to guide.

He said: "If I hadn't had that first experience of the Commonwealths and swimming as a team in 86 I would never have known what I was missing or how close I was to doing something, so I think it's important to give the younger swimmers the opportunity to go - not just necessarily there but any of the major meets and get experience.

"For people doing their first Commonwealths I just hope they want to come and talk to me and I'll show them how easy it is."