We deserve Euro spot - Schwarzer

Schwarzer is driven by the prospect of playing in the 2010 World Cup

Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer believes they have earned the right to end their Premier League season within touching distance of European football.

Fulham sit two points ahead of Spurs in seventh place ahead of their final game at home to Everton.

The 36-year-old told BBC London 94.9: "We're in this position on merit. It's not there through luck after 37 games."

If Fulham remain in seventh spot they will qualify for the newly-formed Europa League next season.

"It's been the tremendous performances throughout the season that have got us in the position we're in now," Schwarzer added.

The former Middlesbrough stopper joined the Whites last summer after spending 11 years on Teesside and he is pleased to have confounded those who thought he was taking a step down.

The key for us has been the consistency. We've been very fortunate with players not being injured

Mark Schwarzer

"When you're at a club so long, people regard you as part of the furniture at times and I think that I was definitely categorised as someone who was probably past his best," he said.

"I think that's one of the reasons why the club were not too forthcoming in really trying to keep me there.

"But from my point of view I knew that my time was up and I really needed to move on and have a new experience and new challenge," he added.

"For me it was always important to play as much as possible because I've still got the ambition to play for Australia at the highest level and to hopefully play in another World Cup which was always a massive incentive for me."

Schwarzer has played a major role in Fulham's transformation from narrowly avoiding relegation last season to being on the verge of European qualification this time around and is in no doubt about the reason for the marked improvement.

"The key for us has been the consistency. We've been very fortunate with players not being injured and if there have been injuries they've just been minor little knocks along the way.

"That's really enabled us to get some games under our belts as a unit and have that consistency as a team and I think it's worked very well for us."