Jerome Boateng says that he dreams of leading out world champions Germany as the first black captain in its history, the centre-back has told Sport Bild.
Boateng, 26, has had a fine 2014 and established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world, while his standout performance was a major reason for Germany's clean sheet while sealing a 1-0 victory in the World Cup final against Argentina.
After Philipp Lahm's retirement from international football this summer, Bastian Schweinsteiger was named Germany captain and, during his injury related absence, Manuel Neuer and Sami Khedira deputised for him. However, Boateng believes he also has the makings to become a Germany captain.
"It would be a huge honour for me to wear the armband for Germany as the first black captain ever," the Bayern defender said. "I wore it once during a match [a friendly versus Argentina in 2012, when he took over the armband from Sami Khedira], but it's different to lead out the team onto the pitch. It's not only a great feeling, but also a great responsibility.
"It would also be a signal. It really should not matter which colour of skin a person has. I know where my roots are, and I know that I've been born and raised in Germany. I see myself as a German and I like to show that. That's why it would be really nice."
Boateng, whose father comes from Ghana while his half-brother Kevin-Prince plays for the African team, has won 50 caps for Germany.
He played his first two tournaments -- the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 -- as a full-back, he was a mainstay at centre-back in Brazil during the summer.
"The Bundestrainer [Joachim Low] sees that I am not someone who shouts a lot on the pitch, but takes on responsibility on the pitch through his performances," he added.
"And after three key players [Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose] stepped down after the World Cup, and I have been a member of the team since 2009, I certainly am among the more experienced players."