The 28-year-old is up against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award…
Bayern Munich ace Manuel Neuer is up against Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or on Monday evening. Here are ten things you need to know about the German.
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10) An early starter
The keeper played his first ever competitive match at 4 years and 341 days as part of Schalke 04’s ‘Babinis’ program.
9) He could have been a tennis player
As a youngster the World Cup winner’s other great passion was for tennis. He played at club level until he was 14, and his favourite sportsman was Boris Becker. However, this wasn’t enough to turn him away from football.
8) Loves an Arsenal legend
The 28-year-old’s favourite goalkeeper is former Arsenal ace Jens Lehmann. He even believes that the eccentric number one is the best ever!
7) A sad rise to prominence
Neuer first got in to the German national side because of the suicide of Robert Enke and an injury to Rene Adler, who had both been ahead of him in the pecking order before the 2010 World Cup. Not the way he would have wanted to get in to the team.
6) Similar story at Schalke
As a youngster he got in to the side at Schalke because of an injury to number one Frank Rost in 2006.
5) Accused of betrayal
When he first moved to Bayern Munich from his boyhood club, he was accused of betrayal. There were even some Munich fans who didn’t want him at the time!
4) Smashed Oliver Kahn’s record
Within weeks of signing for the Bundesliga giants he went over a 1,000 minutes without conceding, breaking the record that had been held by the former man between the sticks Oliver Kahn.
3) He’s a philanthropist
The former Champions League winner is a famed philanthropist in his home country, setting up the Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation. The charity raises money to donate sports equipment to promising athletes who can’t afford their own.
2) He loves Jamaican reggae fusion
Neuer’s favourite song is ‘No Games’ by Jamaican reggae fusion artist Serani.
1) His brother is a ref
The international’s brother is a referee in the Verbandsliga, a German lower league. Sadly, Marcel will be unable to officiate any high profile games while his sibling is at Bayern Munich.