Arsenal's Jens Lehmann regards himself as the best German goalkeeper at the moment and feels he should replace Oliver Kahn as the national side's first choice.
"The better player has to play," Germany's reserve keeper told Thursday's issue of soccer magazine Kicker.
"My performances are more consistent," added the 34-year-old. "Over the past year I have lost two games and made two mistakes. I can't really say that anybody else is better than I am."
Bayern Munich's Kahn, the undisputed number one and the Germany captain, has said he wants to carry on until the 2006 World Cup finals on home soil.
Lehmann was on Germany's bench in last night's 2-1 win over Croatia in Split, in which Kahn made several fine saves but also a mistake that led to Croatia's goal.
Lehmann also made no secret of his difficult relationship with Kahn. "I didn't know we were supposed to talk," he said when asked why the two did not speak to each other. "I don't have a 24-year-old girlfriend. I have a different life."
Lehmann said that while the decision on who plays for the national team belongs to Germany coach Rudi Voeller, he was confident his time would come.
"Of course, it depends on Rudi Voeller but not in the long term," he said. "If you keep performing well, you eventually get rewarded."