World-class Neuer reaches historic milestone
- Manuel Neuer won his 100th international cap on Monday 7 June 2021
- He lifted the World Cup Trophy with Germany in 2014
- The 35-year-old national team captain is not hanging up his gloves any time soon
On 2 June 2009 Germany took on the United Arab Emirates at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai. Standing between the posts was one of German football’s brightest young talents: Manuel Neuer. As he collects his 100th international cap almost precisely 12 years later, the world-class goalkeeper is the captain of his country. The recipient of The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper 2020 award, Neuer was the winner of the adidas Golden Glove at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ and, perhaps most importantly of all, a world champion that year.
Germany coach Joachim Low vividly recalls Neuer’s debut 12 years ago: “From the first moment he was with us, I had the feeling he would go on to be one of the world’s great goalkeepers.”
Sweeper-keeper inspiring a generation
In addition to the many successes he has celebrated with Germany, the footballing world also has him to thank for a very distinctive playing style. Manuel Neuer embodies the sweeper-keeper like no other player – you could even say that he has defined the role for the modern era.
Any goalkeeping coach looking to give their young charges an insight into this forward-thinking style of play could use Neuer’s performance in Germany’s Round of 16 match against Algeria at Brazil 2014 as an instructional film. The supremely focused shotstopper took risks throughout the encounter, intercepting passes and venturing all the way to the halfway line to clear the ball. Germany ultimately secured a 2-1 victory after extra-time to reach the quarter-finals – and what happened after that is etched in both football’s history books and the hearts of all of the country’s fans.
A conductor and leader
Yet Manuel Neuer’s success is not only down to his goalkeeping qualities – he is also an exceptional leader on the pitch. He has been Germany captain since 2016 and also wears the armband for reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions Bayern Munich.
For Neuer, communication is the key in this role: “If you don’t talk enough or interact enough with your team-mates, the coaching staff and officials, then you don’t have the character required to be a leader,” he explained while giving a talk on leadership to the German Football Association (DFB) Academy. He directs his team from the back and is convinced that his team-mates also pick up on his body language.
The best goalkeeper I’ve ever seen – period! He’s the best in the world ever to have stood between the posts.
Germany’s reserve goalkeepers, Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp, have no complaints about playing second fiddle to this generational talent. Neuer “feels 25”, according to Leno, who says that there is “something new to learn [from him] every day” and that the No.1 has “lightning-fast instincts.”
Arsenal goalkeeper Leno does not believe there is a better goalkeeper in the Premier League, with even Brazilian backstops Ederson at Manchester City or Alisson at Liverpool unable to compete. According to Leno, Neuer is “an even more complete player”.
Eintracht Frankfurt shotstopper Trapp shares a similar view. The 30-year-old is impressed with Neuer’s “positive presence; you never get the feeling that he lacks confidence in himself”. It seems as if the Bayern Munich goalkeeper is in a league of his own.
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and coach Andreas Koepke walk over the pitch
22 Jan 2015
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY – MAY 12: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and coach Andreas Koepke walk over the pitch during a German National team training session at the Esprit Arena on May 12, 2010 in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany poses in front of an oversized model of the official world cup ball Jabulani
31 May 2010
APPIANO SULLA STRADA DEL VINO, ITALY – MAY 31: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany poses in front of an oversized model of the official world cup ball Jabulani after a press conference at Sportzone Rungg on May 31, 2010 in Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Italy. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 27: Matthew Upson of England heads the ball past Manuel Neuer of
27 Jun 2010
BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 27: Matthew Upson of England heads the ball past Manuel Neuer of Germany and scores his side’s first goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between Germany and England at Free State Stadium on June 27, 2010 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
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Milan Jovanovic of Serbia scores the first goal past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (L) and Arne Friedrich of Germany
18 Jun 2010
PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 18: Milan Jovanovic of Serbia scores the first goal past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (L) and Arne Friedrich of Germany during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Germany and Serbia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on June 18, 2010 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Botterill – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Manuel Neuer of Germany in action
22 Jan 2015
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 13: Manuel Neuer of Germany in action during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Germany and Australia at Durban Stadium on June 13, 2010 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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Joerg Butt, Tim Wiese and Manuel Neuer of Germany exercise
08 Jun 2010
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 08: (L-R) Joerg Butt, Tim Wiese and Manuel Neuer of Germany exercise during training session at Super stadium on June 8, 2010 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Serdar Tasci of the German team arrive
07 Jun 2010
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 07: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Serdar Tasci of the German team arrive at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport with the new Airbus A380 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup on June 7, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany celebrates after Philipp Lahm scored
03 Jun 2010
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – JUNE 03: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany celebrates after Philipp Lahm scored his teams first goal during the international friendly match between Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Commerzbank Arena on June 3, 2010 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany reacts
22 Jan 2015
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – JUNE 03: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany reacts during the international friendly match between Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Commerzbank Arena on June 3, 2010 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany speaks to the media during a press conference
31 May 2010
APPIANO SULLA STRADA DEL VINO, ITALY – MAY 31: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany speaks to the media during a press conference at Sportzone Rungg on May 31, 2010 in Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Italy. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Manuel Neuer of Germany is seen in action during the training session
24 Jan 2015
APPIANO SULLA STRADA DEL VINO, ITALY – MAY 27: Manuel Neuer of Germany is seen in action during the training session at Sportzone Rungg on May 27, 2010 in Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Italy. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (L) of Germany exercises with a rugby ball whilst German head coach Joachim Loew watches
24 Jan 2015
SCIACCA, ITALY – MAY 18: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (L) of Germany exercises with a rugby ball whilst German head coach Joachim Loew watches him during a German National Team rugby training session at Verdura Golf & Spa Resort on May 18, 2010 in Sciacca, Italy. (Photo by Markus Gilliar-Pool/Getty Images)
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Manuel Neuer of Germany is seen in action during the German National Team training session
16 May 2010
SCIACCA, ITALY – MAY 16: Manuel Neuer of Germany is seen in action during the German National Team training session at Verdura Golf and Spa Resort on May 16, 2010 in Sciacca, Italy. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Manuel Neuer, goalkeeper of Germany saves the ball
23 Jan 2015
AACHEN, GERMANY – MAY 13: Manuel Neuer, goalkeeper of Germany saves the ball during the international friendly match between Germany and Malta at Tivoli stadium on May 13, 2010 in Aachen, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany reacts
23 Jan 2015
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 18: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Germany reacts during the International friendly match between Germany and the Ivory Coast at the Schalke Arena on November 18, 2009 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Manuel Neuer is a godsend for German football. He has been one of the biggest factors in the development of our play and our success over the past decade.
Today Neuer makes his 100th appearance for Germany in their UEFA EURO 2020 warm-up match against Latvia and was presented with the DFB’s medal of honour – a prestigious accolade, particularly for a goalkeeper. To mark this special milestone, he wore gloves with the number 100, his major honours and the years of his international career so far (2009 to 2021) on the strap.
Despite reaching this major landmark, the 35-year-old is not yet contemplating hanging up his gloves. “I’m having so much fun with the lads and have no intention of ending my international career,” Neuer explained at a DFB press conference.
And with his former club coach Hansi Flick set to take over from Germany boss Joachim Low after this summer’s EUROs, the future certainly looks bright for Neuer, providing his current form continues. Next stop: Qatar 2022™.