Bremen, Germany  - Torsten Frings has dismissed talk of retiring from the German national side, saying it was still his aim to play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The 32-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder has not been picked for Germany since a 1-0 defeat to Norway in a friendly international in February.

But Frings told Thursday's Express newspaper he would be fighting to regain his place in Joachim Loew's squad.

"My big aim is to be world champion in 2010," he said.

"I am trying to perform at my best every week. The rest is something I cannot influence."

Frings, capped 78 times, appears to have lost his place in Germany's defensive midfield where Loew has preferred VfB Stuttgart's Thomas Hitzlsperger or Bayer Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes.

Stuttgart's Germany under-21 international Sami Khedira has also recently come into the squad in a similar midfield position.

Frings said he would continue fighting for a place even if he were not chosen for Germany's squads for World Cup qualifiers next month against Russia and Finland.

However, he said that he would not be contacting Loew to discuss his position, adding: "Everything has been said." (dpa)