Thursday 24 March 2016 14:30, UK
Jack Butland and Fraser Forster both have ambitions of replacing Joe Hart as England's first choice goalkeeper - and admit the opportunity to impress Roy Hodgson in the next two games is too good to miss.
Hart will be absent from the England team in the upcoming friendly matches against Germany and the Netherlands due to a calf injury sustained in Manchester City's derby defeat to Manchester United at the weekend, giving Butland and Forster a chance to represent their country.
The City keeper is expected to be out for two weeks and while Burnley's Tom Heaton was called into the squad to replace him it is expected Butland and Forster will play a game each, as Hodgson takes a closer look at the men next in line.
Butland admitted he felt sympathy for Hart - yet also saw it as a chance to make his own claim for the number one position.
"It is never nice for a friend and fellow teammate to get injured, so hopefully he recovers quickly," Butland said. "But it gives us guys a chance to take advantage of that and hopefully get some game time this week."
Asked about whether he has closed the gap on Hart in the England manager's mind, Butland remained diplomatic.
It is never nice for a friend and fellow teammate to get injured...But it gives us a chance to take advantage of that and hopefully get some game time this week
"That's not for me to decide," he said. "It's only for me to put my case forward and keep ensuring that I do well. That's my only focus, I won't get bogged down into people comparing me and Joe. I need to do what I can to show the manager I'm capable of doing the job and then that is his choice."
Butland has had an impressive season with Stoke City, and was this week presented with the England Under-21 Player Of The Year Award for 2015 at St George's Park. Now, he hopes to add to his three senior caps, either in Berlin against Germany on Saturday or at Wembley against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed this season, I just wanted to get my first Premier League season under my belt, and I couldn't really have asked for it to go any better. I thought it was over when I broke my finger earlier in the season, but we managed to get through it and I'm thoroughly enjoying the work that goes into every game, and being able to perform on the weekend."
It is an honour to play for England. There are some tough days when you are injured but these trips and days with England makes it all worthwhile.
Like Butland, Forster also has three England caps and arrived on international duty in impressive form, having kept seven clean sheets in Southampton's last 11 games.
His impact has been significant after returning from a serious knee injury sustained just over a year ago and he said the thought of returning to the international fold helped in his rehabilitation.
"It is an honour to play for England," he told reporters. "There are some tough days when you are injured but these trips and days with England makes it all worthwhile.
"It has obviously been a tough year. It was a year yesterday that I got injured. There were a lot of hard days but it is great to be back involved and since getting fit it couldn't have gone much better really, we are on a great run at Southampton and to be back involved is fantastic.
"It would be fantastic to get some game time, it would be the icing on the cake for the last year for me. But it will be a case of working as hard as I can and showing what I can do in training and then it is someone else's decision. I will work hard and show what I can do and go from there.
"No-one wants to come and make up the numbers. We are fortunate to have a number of really good keepers so there is obviously some strong competition for the position. We all want to come and we all want to play, that is no secret and everyone will say that."
