England striker Michael Owen says that although he is desperately keen to get on the pitch he is prepared to bide his time and wait for his opportunity to break into the first team at Real Madrid.

"Obviously I don't want to continue not playing games," Owen told a news conference in Madrid on Thursday.

"I don't have a crystal ball and I don't know when I'll play. But sometimes in life you've got to be patient and I never signed for this club thinking I was going to be in the starting 11 right from the start."

Owen has begun just one competitive game since joining Real from Liverpool for 12 million euros (8 million pounds) in August and has been restricted to appearances as a substitute despite the relatively poor form of first-choice strikers Ronaldo and Raul.

"It's a tough period for me at the moment, but I've no doubt I'll come through.

"I've not played badly, so I'm holding my head up high and smiling and I'm enjoying myself out here. I firmly believe that it's only a matter of time before I get a chance. It's early days and there's still a lot of the season to go."

Owen said he was unconcerned about speculation in the Spanish media that Raul and Ronaldo were "untouchable" and seemed certain to retain their places no matter how poorly they played.

"If I play well and better than other people then I'm sure I'll get a chance and if not I'll just wait my turn.

"Everybody will get a fair chance in the season and it's up to the individuals to play well, but I don't think there's a specific order and if there is I think it changes a little bit with each game."

But the 24-year-old, yet to score a goal for his new side, conceded: "I'd be a bit worried if it continued right the way through the season. Then obviously I'd have to ask questions about myself."

When asked to compare his experience at Real with that at Liverpool, Owen said he missed the fact that he was not yet a leading protagonist with the Spanish Primera Liga side.

"At Liverpool I was first choice, played every week. What Raul is to the Real Madrid supporters I was in a way to the Liverpool supporters.

"I was playing every week and was an important player to the team. The big difference is that I'm not playing as much in Madrid.

"I obviously have to live with it," he added. "I'm the person who goes to sleep thinking about things all the time. But I'm happy with the way it's started. Every time I've played I've been reasonably happy with my performance."