The striker will be a key member of Hitzfeld's squad for the World Cup in South Africa this summer and he could hardly face a tougher start to his first World Cup, with the Swiss due to meet European champions Spain in their opening game in Durban.

The match will pit the 21-year-old, who plays his club football for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, against a defence which conceded just five times in 10 qualifiers and features the likes of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos.

Derdiyok is likely to be used predominantly as a substitute - but he is determined to make an impact whenever called upon.

"I know that our coach is planning with Alexander Frei and Blaise Nkufo (who scored a combined 10 goals in qualifying) in attack," he told Press Association Sport.

"But I will do everything to make sure that he can count on me at any time. I will be ready."

Certainly the prospect of locking horns with a star-studded Spain line-up is not one that fazes the frontman, suggesting the fact no-one expects them to win or even draw the game puts them in a no-lose situation and can impact positively on their other two group matches against Chile and Honduras.

"I am looking forward to it," he added.

"But against Spain we only have a chance if we surpass ourselves.

"Perhaps it is not bad for us that we are playing against most people's favourites in the first game.

"No-one is expecting us to win, so to that I say: 'We can only win and gain benefit for the rest of the World Cup'."

Derdiyok only scored once during Switzerland's qualifying campaign, netting in the 2-2 draw away to Latvia in September last year.

But the striker, whose first goal for his country came in a 2-1 friendly defeat to England at Wembley in February 2008, Fabio Capello's first game in charge of the Three Lions, will go into the tournament on the back of a very successful first season in the Bundesliga.

He joined Bayer from FC Basle in his homeland last summer and took no time at all to find his feet in the higher-quality league, scoring on the opening day of the season in a 2-2 draw at Mainz.

His partnership with Germany forward Stefan Kiessling was a major reason behind Bayer emerging very early on as genuine title contenders, perhaps surprisingly so given they only finished ninth last term.

And it is a testament to how highly he is regarded at the club that another Germany international, Patrick Helmes, the club's top scorer with 21 last season, has been unable to force his way back into the first team, despite having recovered from the cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out of the first half of the season.

Bayer are on course to enjoy their most successful campaign since 2001-02 when they famously lost in the Champions League and DFB Pokal finals and missing out of the Bundesliga title on the last day of the season.

But Derdiyok insists he will not settle for a decent domestic campaign - he wants to make an impact in South Africa too.

"I know that I have to lay the foundations for a good World Cup personally in the first instance at my club," he said.

"Certainly, after a good season with the club, I will not be satisfied or be lacking in hunger for more success.

"It's the opposite: a good season gives me even more motivation for South Africa."