New England captain Frank Lampard has dismissed the theory that internationals are of secondary relevance to club football and claimed: "They will always be the proudest games of your career."
Lampard will lead England out for the first time in tonight's friendly with Denmark, in the absence of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard.
With a crowded Premier League and Champions League calendar, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is among those who have decried the international game, once describing it as "boring".
But Lampard still believes it is the pinnacle for a player to represent their country.
When asked about Wenger's comment, Lampard said: "Sometimes you understand the comments that are made.
"The domestic game in Europe and England has gone up so many levels, in terms of the Champions League and the Premier League.
"There has been a time maybe when international football maybe has struggled to keep up.
"But, in the long term, international football will always be there. As an individual, they'll always be the proudest games of your career.
"With England, we've not had many games with a real edge because we've never done well enough in the big competitions.
"Maybe in small cycles, international football hasn't set us alight as much as we'd want recently.
"But it'll always be significant. We've got 2,500 fans coming over in a midweek game, so that shows you the interest in it."
Lampard wants to continue playing for England as long as he can make a worthwhile contribution.
But he has welcomed the inclusion of 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere who is set to start an England match for the first time tonight.
Lampard said: "You have to encourage change and embrace it. I'm not one of those players who wants to keep the youngsters out for myself.
"You want for the good of the team and the squad. Seeing Wilshere, and McEachran at Chelsea, coming through is great because I was that player once although I wasn't as young as them.
"You need that with the younger lads coming through, otherwise you become stale. You need it to drive you on."
Lampard added: "I'd like to think myself and Jack will complement each other.
"The way he's played for Arsenal this year, he's got elements of his game where he can get forward and create things, and he can certainly play that midfield role where he can control the game from deeper.
"He can move the ball quickly. It's important to move the ball quickly from deep midfield in international football.
"Jack can inject some quick passing, as he does with Arsenal, into us."