Liam Fray is ''bewildered'' by The Courteeners' success in his home city.

The 31-year-old singer is convinced the group are going to get ''found out'' because while they will play a 50,000-capacity gig in Manchester later this month, they have never reached the same level of popularity anywhere else in the country.

He said: ''I keep thinking someone is going to find us out and say: enough, it's over, you've had your fun. Because, you know, the fact that we are playing stadiums is amazing but bewildering when you consider the rest of the country has no idea who we are.

''We are definitely an anomaly. It's like we've never been invited to the party, and I don't know why.''

Though Liam admits it used to be something he and his bandmates worried about, he tries not to think about it too much these days as he is aware it is easily something they could get ''obsessed'' with.

He added to the Independent: ''We had to stop worrying about it after the second album came out, because if we didn't, we'd never have left the house again. It's the kind of thing you could become obsessed about.

''Why haven't we crossed over? Why haven't we been let in? We're the ultimate outsiders. Always have been and, for all I know, always will be.''

The 'Not Nineteen Forever' singer is thankful he isn't ''properly famous'' because of the attention high-profile figures receives, as it is increasingly more and more difficult for him to go about his everyday life back home.

He said: ''God knows how properly famous people do it, but it's become an impossibility to lead an anonymous life there anymore.''

While Liam adores being in the band, he doesn't want to keep performing forever.

He said: ''I love being in this band, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't want to run it into the ground, and I can't see myself doing this at 60.

''I have this creeping sense that I want to do something else, something away from music. I just haven't figured out what yet.

''I keep asking myself: is there something else out there for me? And will I find it?''