A baby-faced member of the German Under-21 side that triumphed at the 2009 European championships, Neuer’s main assets are his sharp reactions and superior distribution by hand or foot.
However, he can suffer lapses in concentration and will come under the spotlight if he replaces the injured Rene Adler. Still, experience will ease his progress and Neuer has certainly improved since he was first called up to the senior national team for a tour of Asia at the end of last season.
He has been with hometown club Schalke since the age of five and likes nothing better than to clamber up the stadium fencing and celebrate a victory with the club’s fans. Schalke coach Felix Magath calls him the ‘public face of the club’, but rumours are rife that he may be on the move soon to Bayern Munich.
