MIDDLESBROUGH'S Franck Queudrue hopes to earn himself a call up to the French squad - and pop open another case of bubbly in the process.
The full-back has a running bet with coach Steve Harrison that he can play his part in 12 of the club's goals this season and he already has three assists and has hit the net once himself.
It is that form that Queudrue hopes will attract the attention of new French coach Raymond Domenech, who is seeking a replacement for Bixente Lizarazu after he retired from international football.
Newcastle's Olivier Bernard - an old teammate of Queudrue's during their schoolboy days together - has already been called into the provisional squad for his country and it seems the pair are heading for a battle for Lizarazu's shirt.
And the Boro defender, who won a similar bet with Harrison last season when he went through the whole of the campaign without receiving a red card, hopes he can continue in the form he has shown against Arsenal and Fulham.
"I hope my assists and goals can continue," said Queudrue, who hopes his goal in the 5-3 defeat at Arsenal will help to turn the spotlight towards him.
"I have a personal target that Steve Harrison has set me, of 12 goals or assists, that I want to get to. Now I have scored the same amount as last season and I also have the same assists as last season, so that's not bad for two games.
"I want to play for France and I know scoring will help people take notice. I would like to have been playing next week for my country but I'm not and that's not my decision.
"My goal against Arsenal may have helped because I might have got ten lines more in the French press because of it! Along with Henry, Pires and Vieira.
"It's the manager's choice who is in the squad. All I can do is play the way I play and it really is out of my hands. I don't know the manager and he was more in charge of the young sides - not the B team when I got my cap."
Queudrue was first spotted by Boro boss Steve McClaren, then assistant at Manchester United, in 1999 when he played in the Lens side that lost to Arsenal in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup.
Now the 26-year-old - due to face Crystal Palace today - is looking forward to playing his part in the Riverside outfit's first European adventure after learning that they will face Czech Republic champions Banik Ostrava in a testing first round tie next month.
And Queudure said: "I remember playing against Arsenal. The manager told me that was the first time he had seen me play. I was up against Ray Parlour that night, I actually marked him.
"Since coming here I have been impatient waiting for Middlesbrough to play in this competition. I wanted to play in it with Middlesbrough after tasting it with Lens. It's nice to be a part of this club's first match in it."
Queudrue admitted he was sad to see Boro fans' favourite Juninho turn his back on Teesside earlier this week.
The little Brazilian was told he was only going to be a squad player at the Riverside and he opted to go and play in the Champions League with Celtic.
Queudrue said: "He's a very good friend. We are not pleased to see him go but the club and all the players wish him the very best. We want him to be happy. I don't know what happened between the club and Juninho and it's sad but I wish him well. I will probably speak to him in a few days."
McClaren also gave Juninho his backing to become a big hit north of the border and said: "Juninho has been fantastic for me since I have been here. Both on and off the field. I think Juninho has done everything he wanted to achieve here, in his third spell at the club. He won a trophy and that's what he wanted. Unfortunately I couldn't guarantee him a place in the team and he went with our blessing."
And boss McClaren, looking ahead to this afternoon's visit of Palace to the Riverside, has admitted Szilard Nemeth's future at Boro could lie on the right of midfield.
Nemeth, last season's top-scorer, grabbed a goal in that role at Craven Cottage in midweek after being introduced as a substitute.
And McClaren, who revealed he will not be adding to his squad ahead of next Tuesday's closure of the transfer window, believes the Slovakian striker can push Gaizka Mendieta hard for a place on the wing.
"I think competition for places is now vital and we have that now. We have got Szilard Nemeth who is now pushing Mendieta for a place on that right flank. Job, Dowing and Doriva are all pushing for a place. The whole campaign is built on players coming in and filling in when players are injured and they're doing that at the moment," said McClaren, who should have George Boateng fit after recovering from bruising sustained in the 2-0 win over Fulham.
"At the moment I'm happy but we will look at that again in January. I think Szil has proven his versatility. We tried him out in that position before and we were a bit short in that area last year."
Dutch full-back Michael Reiziger is in Switzerland for an operation on his troublesome shoulder injury today.
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