Landon Donovan is well aware that his monopoly on a starting role with the USA national team may be no longer.
The 32-year old LA Galaxy is second on all-time caps for the States with 156 and top of the all-time scorers charts with 57 but admits that his time as a regular starter is moving past him.
In an interview with ESPNFC.com, Donovan said that he is having to adjust to not being the US poster boy as the landscape begins to change within Juergen Klinsmann's national team.
"I think it's more this point in my career - and it started briefly with Bob [Bradley] in the Gold Cup a few years ago - where you may not be penned in as a starter or as part of the team every time," Donovan said.
"That as an athlete is a hard realization to swallow, because we all think we're invincible, we all think we're great, we all have an ego at times.
"Dealing with that process has been ... not challenging but interesting, and it's just coming to grips with it. I've sort of had to realize that.
"I think Juergen's motto - and I think to his credit it has worked and been good - is that you have to be good all the time, and you have to prove it every day. That's hard for older players."
However, the former Bayer Leverkusen, San Jose Earthquakes, Bayern Munich and Everton man is still confident he has what it takes to play a key role for the US at this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
"When I'm [with the national team], I still feel like I'm one of the best players, and that I can still contribute in a big way," he added.
"I can't do it every day in training. That's why leading up to the Mexico game, when I don't train well for a couple of days, alarm bells probably go off in Juergen's head. But I know myself, and I know when game day comes, I know how to perform."
