Karim Benzema has demanded that Didier Deschamps explain to him why he is being continually overlooked for a place in the France national team, telling the French press “I have to know”.

Benzema has been a key player for Real Madrid over the past eight seasons and was described by Florentino Perez, the club’s president, as “the best number nine in the world” this week.

But he has not represented Les Blues since October 2015 after being suspended by the French Football Federation (FFF) because of his alleged role in the extortion of international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.

The striker was forced to watch Euro 2016 from the side-lines as France finished runners-up although Deschamps, as well as FFF president Noel Le Graet, have both publicly opened the door for the striker's return.

However, it looks like Deschamps has no intention of calling him back into a squad that performs well without him, much to the bewilderment of Benzema.

Benzema has been a consistent former for Real Madrid (Getty)

"What I would like is to at least have a discussion with the coach, that he tells me what he thinks. I have to know,” Benzema told RMC.

“The last time I spoke to the coach on the phone, it was well before the Euro. He told me, 'Karim, I'm going to tell you something you're not going to like. I'm not going to pick you.'

“At the time, I was very disappointed, I didn't need explanations.

"We haven't had contact since. But today, having taken a step back, I would like him to explain to me why he doesn't pick me and why it continues. I ask myself that question every day."

Most expensive players by age Show all 27 1 /27 Most expensive players by age Most expensive players by age 14 years old: Sheyi Ojo, MK Dons – Liverpool, 2011. £2.13m. Liverpool beat off competition from practically every European superclub to land the signing of 14-year old wonderkid Ojo, from MK Dons’ academy. Encouraging loan spells at Wigan and Wolves followed, with the winger graduating to Liverpool’s first-team squad last season. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Most expensive players by age 15 years old: Fran Merida, Barcelona – Arsenal, 2005. £2.72m. Frightened by the number of prodigiously talented young players being signed by Barcelona, Merida’s parents encouraged a move to Arsenal. But Merida struggled to acclimatise himself in England, making just six league appearances before returning home. Recently signed from second-tier Huesca by La Liga outfit Osasuna. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 16 years old: Theo Walcott, Southampton – Arsenal, 2006. £8.93m. A precocious talent: Nike agreed to sponsor Walcott when he was just 14-years old. Arsenal splashed the cash after an impressive debut season with Southampton in the Championship, and they have been rewarded with twelve seasons worth of hard-work and underwhelming finishing. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 17 years old: Alexandre Pato, Internacional – AC Milan, 2007. £8.93m. Pato began life at the San Siro encouragingly, scoring 18 goals in his debut season and winning both the Golden Boy and Serie A Young Footballer of the Year awards. But from then on his form fluctuated, and he acquired an unwanted playboy reputation after well-publicized trysts with Barbara Berlusconi, a director at the club and daughter of former Italian president Silvio. Now starring for Tianjin Quanjian. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 18 years old: Luke Shaw, Southampton – Man Utd, 2014. £31.88m. Shaw became the most expensive teenager in football when he left Southampton for Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United. His time at Old Trafford didn’t get off to a great start: the Dutchman promptly accused him of not being fit enough. Injury has dogged his time at the club, and recent reports suggest he could soon be moved on. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 19 years old: Anthony Martial, Monaco – Man Utd, 2015. £42.5m. Another one of Louis van Gaal’s excessively expensive teenage signings. Has generally fared better than Shaw, and made a blistering start to his United career when he scored on his debut before winning the Premier League Player of the Month award in his first month in English football. But has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 20 years old: Raheem Sterling, Liverpool – Man City, 2015. £53.13m. Deserted Liverpool for Manchester at the end of one of the most protracted transfer sagas of recent time, after a length and tortuous dispute over a new contract. Has enjoyed an encouraging start to his City career and has been a regular under Pep Guardiola. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 21 years old: Neymar, Santos – Barcelona. 2013. £74.97m. The exact sum of Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona is one of the most controversial subjects in football, but the following is without doubt: Neymar was the most expensive 21-year old player in the history of the game. An undoubted success at Barca, forming a formidable attacking triumvirate alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 22 years old: John Stones, Everton – Man City, 2016. £47.26m. Eyebrows were raised when Manchester City made John Stones the second most expensive defender of all-time (behind David Luiz). It was hoped that Pep Guardiola would be able to get the best out of a talented but frustratingly erratic young talent, but the costly mistakes have unfortunately yet to be eradicated. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 23 years old: Paul Pogba, Juventus – Man Utd, 2016. £89.25m. Manchester United infamously allowed Paul Pogba to leave for Juventus for a pittance, and then had to spend a world-record fee to get him back. It wasn’t the shrewdest of business decisions, but it made sense where the football was concerned: Pogba has scored four goals since returning and has been instrumental in United’s recent improvement. Man Utd via Getty Images Most expensive players by age 24 years old: Gareth Bale, Tottenham – Real Madrid, 2013. £85.85m. Surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo as the most expensive player in the world when he joined Real Madrid in 2013. 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AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 27 years old: Luis Suarez, Liverpool – Barcelona, 2014. £69.46m. The Uruguayan came so very close to single-handedly winning Liverpool the Premier League title in 2014, before quitting and joining Barcelona. Things didn’t get off to the best of starts when he was suspended for the start of the season after biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, but 40 goals in just 35 La Liga matches in his second season meant his occasional bouts of ill-discipline was quickly forgotten. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 28 years old: Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli – Juventus, 2016. £76.5m. In the 2015/16 season the irrepressible Higuain scored an incredible 36 goals to claim the Capocannoniere and equal Gino Rossetti's 87-year-old record for goals in an Italian top-flight season. His reward was a £76.5m move to Juventus, where he has unsurprisingly proved an instant success. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 29 years old: Zinedine Zidane, Juventus – Real Madrid, 2001. £62.48m. One of the best players of all-time, and for eight years, the most expensive player in the history of the game. Joined Real in the twilight of his career but still managed to fit in five highly successful seasons. Now manages the club he retired at. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 30 years old: Samuel Eto’o, Inter – Anzhi Makhachkala, 2011. £22.95m. FC Anzhi Makhachkala perhaps wasn’t the natural next stop on a glittering football C.V. that included Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan, but there was little chance Inter were going to turn down such a large fee for a 30-year old. Spells at Chelsea and Everton followed. Now interim player-manager at Turkish outfit Antalyaspor. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 31 years old: Gabriel Batistuta, Fiorentina – Roma, 2000. £27.63m. Batistuta hit the ground running when he first signed for Roma, managing 20 goals in 28 Serie A games, only six less than golden boot winner Hernan Crespo. But his advancing years soon caught up with him: The Argentine scored only 10 more league goals for the club over the next two league seasons. Most expensive players by age 32 years old: Shay Given, Newcastle – Man City, 2009. £7.65m. Given was regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League when he quit struggling Newcastle for nouveau riche Manchester City in 2008. Immediately displaced a junior Joe Hart – who was banished on loan to Birmingham – before the rookie was to replace him in the 2010/11 season. Given moved on to Aston Villa, for £3.5m. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 33 years old: Claudio Bravo, Barcelona – Man City, 2016. £15.3m. The less said about this one the better. Another case of Manchester City signing a goalkeeping in his twilight years, booting Joe Hart out on loan, and then wishing they could take him back. Bravo arrived for big money but his signing has proved an unmitigated disaster. Recently he has been benched in favour of Willy Caballero. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 34 years old: Lilian Thuram, Juventus – Barcelona, 2006. £4.25m. The most capped player in the history of the France national team, who enjoyed long and successful spells at Monaco, Parma and Juventus. Barca took advantage of the infamous Calciopoli scandal to sign Thuram for a discount price when Juventus dropped into Serie B, but the defender was forced into an early retirement after only two seasons at the club, after he was diagnosed with a heart defect. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 35 years old: Ze Roberto, Bayern Munich – Hamburg, 2009. £3.4m. Many thought Ze Roberto would see out his career at Hamburg, after the German club paid Bayern £3.4m for the then 35-year old. How wrong they were. He spent two successful seasons at the club only to depart for Qatari club Al-Gharafa, following that up with stints at Grêmio and Palmeiras. He’s still playing. He’s 43 this July. He signed a contract extension in December. Bongarts/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 36 years old: David James, Man City – Portsmouth, 2006. £1.45m. When 36-year old David James hurriedly left Manchester City for personal reasons in 2006, little did he know how successful his next move was to prove. James kept clean sheets in his first five appearances for Portsmouth, setting the tone for a fine four seasons on the south coast, which included an FA Cup win and an appearance in the Uefa Cup group stage. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 37 years old: Brad Friedel, Blackburn Rovers – Aston Villa, 2008. £2.13m. 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Craig Brewster returned to the club as player-manager in January 2006, although the move wasn’t a successful one. The Tangerines went unbeaten for their first three matches, but then went on to win only one match for the remainder of the season. Brewster would cling on until October. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 40 years old: Bogdan Stelea, Unirea Urziceni – Brasov, 2008. £85k. Brasov forked out £85k for 40-year old Romanian goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea, but the former Salamanca number one was to make only 23 appearances before calling it a day. He immediately embarked on a managerial career, spending time at Astra Ploiești and Viitorul Constanța.

Benzema added that playing for a successful club like Real Madrid makes his exclusion all the more difficult, because of how sparsely attended training sessions are during international breaks.

"There are only internationals [at Real Madrid]. It's hard because I love football, big matches, and you know that the national team is a very high level. Each time I've been able to come and play with France, I was proud. So when I'm not on the list, I'm disappointed.

"Given what I've done at Madrid for eight years now, I think I've proven that I still had a lot of years ahead of me in the France team. It's been a year-and-a-half that I'm not in it any more.

"It's hard for me. Some people say I don't love the French national team. If that were the case, I would have said so directly to the coach, because I'm a big boy.

"But today I find it unfair because I don't have an explanation, let them explain to me why they don't pick me. I'm going to keep in my head that if they don't pick me for the moment, it's for football, it's that there are players that are better than me. If we talk about things outside of sport, the story with Mathieu, I'm not guilty. I've paid, it's been a year-and-a-half."

The 29-year-old's wait for a recall continues (Getty)

Benzema was charged with conspiracy to blackmail relating to an extortion scam over a sex tape allegedly involving Valbuena, although he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The case is still ongoing, with Deschamps clearly still worried Benzema’s recall would prove divisive.