He told the London Informer: "The club's given me a new lease of life. It's been a fantastic move for me and there's every possibility I will end my career here.

"My immediate goal is the 2010 World Cup, and it's more than likely I will quit international football after that, but domestically I still want to continue.

"There's a few of us in the Premier League in the late 30s - Edwin Van der Sar has just signed an extension until 2010, David James has just signed a new contract as well and Brad Friedel has signed a three-year deal and he's 37 - so there's hope for me yet."

Schwarzer has found a rich vain of form recently including keeping his fourth clean sheet of the season in Saturday's goalless draw at Stoke City.

Next up for Schwarzer’s Fulham is old club Middlesbrough and he is willing to give boss Roy Hodgson a report on his old team-mates. "If the manager asks me about various [Middlesbrough] players, then obviously I could help. Tuncay Sanli and [Stewart] Downing are the ones we've got to look out for."

Meanwhile, former Boro understudy Ross Turnbull has acknowledged the influence of his former mentor ahead of the two keepers’ sides clashing this weekend.

“It will be strange playing against Mark knowing he’ll be up the other end. Normally I am sat on the bench watching him play. He is a good friend, we keep in touch and hopefully we will get one over on him and Fulham,” Turnbull told The Sun.

“Mark was a massive, massive help to me as a young keeper. He was always there for me. He might not give out much info but Schwarz was always first class with me. I respect that and he was a top-class keeper.

“When I came to the club as a 15-year-old he was the No 1. He has been in the Premier League for over a decade and has so much international experience.

“I guess I can’t say I was sad to see him go in the summer but he wanted to go and I was happy for him. He wanted a new challenge and it was good for me.”