Ter Stegen opens up about finally being Germany's number one goalkeeper

Following Manuel Neuer's retirement from international duty, Marc-André ter Stegen has finally been named Germany's first-choice goalkeeper after years of playing second fiddle to the Bayern Munich veteran.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the FC Barcelona star opened up about how it feels to finally be the starting goalkeeper for his country.

"First of all, I'm happy about all the words my teammates and coach have dedicated to me. It's balm for the soul," he said.

“My ambition has always been to be number one, which unfortunately I haven't been able to do in the last ten years. I had someone in front of me who had a really, really great club and national team career, who pushed himself and always stood up to the pressure. Congratulations to him for what he has achieved with the national team.”

Reflecting on all the years he's been behind Neuer in the pecking order, ter Stegen said:

"There are always moments when you think about it. To be honest, I've always had situations and moments where I've thought about it and it's often been a blow. There have been a lot of close decisions in the last few years that have always gone Manu's way in the end. That was disappointing.

“But these are things you have to live and go through. There have been a lot of conversations where the subject of frustration comes up. It was worth it. My teammates realized that I never let myself down.”