Olivier Giroud has seen a lot of the substitutes' bench in recent years, but he's clearly never warmed to it.
After the Chelsea striker was only named as a backup by Didier Deschamps for France's World Cup opener with Australia last week, he was called upon to lead the line from the start in Thursday's win over Peru.
The former Arsenal man was unhappy with Deschamps' decision against the Socceroos and admitted he was awaiting the opportunity to be Les Blues' focal point in attack.
"For the first match, I was disappointed and frustrated," Giroud said at a news conference on Friday, as reported by ESPN's Jonathan Johnson. "I am a competitor and I want to play in every match.
"(Deschamps) explained it to me - it was not an injustice. I have had to deal with this through my entire career and it has always made me come back stronger. It has made me me.
"I am happy - I knew that I was waiting for this match. It is important to respond when the coach puts his faith in you and picks you. I tried to do my bit and I am happy with what I added."
Though a guaranteed starter in his homeland for Montpellier, Giroud's time in England has often seen him playing second fiddle up front. For Arsenal, over a third (61 of 180) of his Premier League appearances came from the bench, while thus far for new club Chelsea, he has come on as a substitute more often than he has started in the league.
The 31-year-old will hope he is given the nod again by Deschamps for the final group game against Denmark on Tuesday as he looks for his second-ever World Cup goal.
