MADRID, June 5 (Reuters) - Few goalkeepers have had such a bizarre start to their international career as Spain's Jose Francisco Molina.

The Atletico Madrid player was sent on as a make-shift striker in a friendly against Norway four years ago in a warm-up to Euro '96 when all the other substitutes had been used and one of his colleagues was injured.

Despite being part of the Spanish squads for the Euro '96 and France '98, more than three years elapsed before he finally got a chance to play in his specialist position for his country last summer.

Should he play in Spain's opening Euro 2000 match against Norway on June 13, it will bring Molina's international career full circle but he is taking nothing for granted.

'We have three good goalkeepers in the squad and each one of us is working towards playing. At this stage only the coach knows who is likely to start against Norway,' the 29-year-old told the Spanish sports daily Marca on Monday.

'Lots of people think that because I started the game (on Saturday) against Sweden, that I will be in the starting line-up for the Norway match - because the Swedes have a similar style to the Norwegians,' he added. 'At the moment that's all speculation.'

Selection would bring a happier end to a grim season for Molina, in which his Atletico team were relegated and also lost the Spanish Cup final.

With Atletico in the second division next season for the first time in 66 years, Molina has been linked in the media with both the Spanish and French champions Deportivo Coruna and Monaco.