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Jurgen Klinsmann says England must make the last eight of the 2014 World Cup to justify their status as one of football's "powerhouses".
Klinsmann, who currently coaches the United States, spent two seasons at Tottenham during his playing career.
"It's a must to go in to at least the quarter-final. It's as simple as that," he told Football Focus.
"They are definitely one of the powerhouses still in the world of football but they've got to prove it."
The USA, who have also qualified for the finals under the 49-year-old's leadership,play Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park on Friday.
Klinsmann won 108 international caps and was part of the West Germany team that beat England in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals on their way to lifting the trophy.
While England have not matched that performance since at a World Cup, Germany have reached the semi-finals on another three occasions, finishing as runners-up in 2006.
Klinsmann believes that their historical record, combined with a current squad containing Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil and Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze, has raised expectations among the German public.
"The way you put expectations on the German team is 'at least the final'," Klinsmann added.
"That's the expectations now because of that golden generation they're bringing through."
Germany will play England in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday. The two sides have won three meetings apiece in their six matches since the turn of the millennium.
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