Manuel Neuer biography

Widely known for breaking the most clean sheets record, his amazing diving skills and his remarkable speed in anticipating the opposing team’s attacks, as well as his consistency and unique mindset, Neuer has lots of untold stories in his personal life. There is no doubt that his extraordinary performance at both

and the German national team has given him the title of the best goalkeeper on the planet.

Manuel Peter Neuer, alias, The Snapper, is also considered to be the best goalkeeper in Bayern Munich’s history and was rewarded for being the best goalkeeper of the last decade by IFFHS.

Compellingly, many people may not know much about

Manuel Neuer bio

, his personal life, or the first team he played for. So let’s start our analysis of Manuel Neuer’s both on pitch and off pitch lifestyle, as well as the untold facts about

Manuel Neuer life story.

Particularly referred to as a “sweeper-keeper”, Neuer has won several major trophies. During his stay at Bayern Munich he has won a total of 26 trophies, including eight Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. He undoubtedly needs no introduction, as he finished third in the voting for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, in which he was behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He also has won five UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award and five IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award. He was chosen as the number one goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as 2014 FIFA World Cup, in which he won the Golden Glove and was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

Manuel Neuer date of birth

is 27 March 1986, meaning that he will turn 35 years old in two months. By coincidence, he shares his birthday with the former Chelsea player and Burton Albion’s current Dutch manager, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was also born on 27 March. Given the fact that he is almost 35 years old, it is still quite fascinating to see such a brilliant player in the world of football. He has never thought of retiring from what he truly loves and still keeps on breaking clean sheets records that are believed to be never broken again by any goalkeeper who has yet to rise.

Manuel Neuer nationality

is German, born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He started his international career at a young age in the German under-21 team and was soon noticed by many people.

Manuel Neuer religion

is reported to be catholic, as he is one of the ardent supporters of the Gelsenkirchen-based catholic church. It is said that he often participates in charities to help children in need and is reported to even have his own charity foundation, which we will take a detailed look at later on.

Everything you need to know about Manuel Neuer bio 

Here in this part of the article, we aim to provide you with some basic info regarding

Manuel Neuer biography

and will delve into his professional career and personal life shortly afterwards.

Manuel Neuer information

Before talking about his early life and professional career, we have prepared a brief overview of his physical statistics and personal information, in case you are interested to know more about details.

Bio

• Full name

  : Manuel Peter Neuer

• Nickname

  : The Snapper, Manu

Physical Stats

• Height

  : 1.93 m

• Eye color

  : Blue

• Hair color

  : Brown

Football Information

• Position

  : Goalkeeper

• Jersey number

  : 1

• Professional debut

  : April 2004

Personal Information

• Date of birth

  : March 27, 1986

• Place of birth

  : Gelsenkirchen, Germany

• Marital status

  : Divorced in early 2020, currently dating

• Zodiac sign

  : Aries

Now with this information at hand, we can now move on to his early life to see how he was introduced to football and how he has become such a successful footballer.

Manuel Neuer early life

As it is included in

Manuel Neuer childhood

story, he was born into a family of three, to his mother Marita Neuer, and his father Peter Neuer. He was raised in a catholic home along with his brother Marcel Neuer. With the help of his brother, he realized his passion towards football at the age of two. He played for the very first time when he was two years old, and was soon engrossed in playing football. Neuer started his education at Gesamtschule Berger Fled. It is believed that many football superstars, such as Mesut Özil, started their educational life from there. Neuer and his brother were both so focused on football that they cared nothing about their studies. As he grew, his love towards football grew as well.

Without letting anything affect his pursuit of success in football, Neuer found an opportunity to enroll in Gesamtschule Berger Fled academy at the age of five and did. It provided a better stage for Manuel to practice and strengthen his abilities. As he showed his amazing potential and extraordinary skills as a goalkeeper, he was soon noticed by the coaches.

They were amazed to see a child at such age have such an eye-catching talent in football. As a result, they decided to put effort into training him and building a superior goalkeeper out of him, who would go on to become one of the world’s best goalkeepers of all time. He then started spending most of his youth making his way through their ranks at the same age. His idol was the German goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, whom he adored throughout his early life and wished to become someone as successful as him.

Manuel and his brother would spend many hours playing in the streets. After a short time, he was called up by Schalke 04 youth team, in which he started performing well. Nobody was expecting such a talented goalkeeper. His brilliant ability caught the coach’s eyes, making him to keep on overseeing Neuer’s progress and improvement.

Manuel Neuer profile

According to

Manuel Neuer biography

, it is believed that he made his debut for

in April 2004. Though he did not contribute that much to the team, he still managed to make a total of 26 appearances for the club.

His amazing growth led his career to start in 2005, in which he signed his first professional contract with his hometown club

’s first team after spending most of his youth rising through their ranks. However, he failed to make any appearance for the team during that season.

He was praised and still is for his one of a kind agility and brilliance on the pitch. He went on to make his Bundesliga debut on 19 August 2006. The match was against Alem. Aachen, in which Neuer featured the full 90 minutes and came out victorious by beating them 1-0. He won his first two games with the club and was sidelined for the next six matches. His third appearance dates back to 5 November 2006, in which they played against Bayern Munich. They secured a 2-2 draw against the dominant of the Bundesliga. He then became the first-choice goalkeeper for several games. He contributed in a total of 27 appearances during that season.

In the next season in 2007, Neuer put up many outstanding performances during the entire 34 League matches. However, in the early season of 2008, he was absent for 5 games due to metatarsal fracture. He made his return on the pitch on 5 October after spending the previous match on the bench. In addition, he recorded another absence during that season, but this time, he had been diagnosed with a virus infection. In the first knockout phase of 2008 Champions League, Neuer’s brilliance led the match against Porto to reach penalties. Neuer saved many of the penalties and helped Schalke to progress to the quarter-finals.

Despite at a very young age, the performance he had put up in the Champions League led him to be chosen as the 2008 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year. He found himself overjoyed to see that his dream had finally come true. He contributed in 34 League competitions as well as 10 games in Champions League.

According to

Manuel Neuer biography

, in 2009 season, Neuer’s amazing abilities drew Bayern Munich’s attention. They showed their interest in signing the young talented goalkeeper but, Schalke’s manager refused the offer, telling them that Neuer would stay for the season. He then was nominated as one of the five goalkeepers and the only German goalkeeper for the UEFA Team of the Year. His first experience as a captain was on 30 January 2010 in a match against VfL Bochum, which ended in a draw. He followed it up with becoming the first-choice captain for the next season.

Neuer’s captaincy led Schalke to their very first Champions League semi-final competition. They played against Manchester United, but, were unable to come out victorious.

In the last days of his stay at the club, he won his last trophy with Schalke’s first team on 21 May 2011. The match was against MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal final, which Schalke beat them 5-0.

After initially announcing his intention to not extend his contract with the club, he arranged his departure to Bayern Munich and was transferred for a fee of €30.00m. This controversial act upset both Schalke and Munich fans due to the fact that the two teams had had an intense rivalry over the years, and it was an indecent move by Bayern to sign their rivals' goalkeeper. Neuer, however, put an end to those controversies by breaking the club's record for the most clean sheets, which was formerly held by Oliver Kahn. He did not concede any goals in over 1,000 minutes.

His arrival in Munich changed many things for Bayern, they went on to become more powerful and feared by many other clubs. Neuer put up several amazing performances both in the Bundesliga and Champions League, including his extraordinary penalty saves from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Juan Mata, Mesut Özil and so on. On 7 January 2014 he became the 2013 World Goalkeeper of the Year. He then was nominated for the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or, in which he finished third. He became the first-choice goalkeeper of German national team in the 2014 World Cup and played a huge part in Germany’s victory.

In 2016 he extended his contract with Bayern Munich until 2021. Neuer’s fame started growing day by day, as he kept several clean sheets during the seasons and helped Bayern Munich through lots of cup competitions. The retirement of his fellow German, Philipp Lahm, led Neuer to become the captain of both Bayern Munich and the German national team in 2017. In a game against Anderlecht, Neuer recorded his 100th appearance as a European in Champions League. However, he started to suffer from a long-lasting foot injury during that season. After his absence for almost an entire season, he finally came back on the pitch on 20 April 2018.

As it is reported in Manuel Neuer biography, he put up several amazing performances and was praised by many people over the following seasons. Bayern Munich extended his contract until 2023. On 21 October 2020, Neuer posted his 200th clean sheet with Bayern Munich through defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0. 

Style of play

Manuel Neuer’s playing style is the reason why Bayern Munich was interested in buying him. He is notably known for his unique strengths. His ability to rush off the line to stop the opposing team’s attackers has made the sweeper-keeper a nickname for him. His one of a kind agility to quickly anticipate his opponent’s attacks is praised by many people across the world. His penalty saves from the world’s known superstars were beyond everyone’s expectations.

Not to forget that, it is amazing to see a 34-year-old goalkeeper still at his own prime. Neuer is also recognized for his adjustments to some random occurrences on the pitch. In addition to his above-mentioned abilities, he is also regarded to be a very good passer with a great passing ability compared to other goalkeepers.

Reception

He joined Bayern Munich after spending almost six years at Schalke, but, many Bayern Munich ardent fans were not happy about his transfer. Regardless of his undoubted qualities, they believed that this new goalkeeper was still a Schalke fan and showed neither any respect towards the keeper, nor any gratitude to the club directors. Manuel Neuer replaced the former Bayern Munich goalkeeper, Jorg Butt. But, still faced the fans’ unfair treatment.

"You can save as many balls as you like, but we will never accept you in our jersey," was seen on a sign that was held by someone in the stands during a match. The club’s directors got a grasp on the situation, convincing their “hostile fans” by saying that Neuer would be a full member of the club and must be treated respectfully. Neuer, however, initiated a friendly relationship with the club’s fans by breaking Oliver Kahn’s record.

Goal celebration

Although he is a goalkeeper and has scored no single goal throughout his entire career, he gets to celebrate goals with his teammates. As Dante, one of Bayern Munich’s defenders, rushed towards Neuer, hugging him and celebrating the unique goal he had scored. He believed that it was not fair to not share the celebration with the goalkeeper.

Manuel Neuer outside football

Neuer’s off-pitch lifestyle includes his net worth of $40 million USD. He owes his net worth to his lucrative contract with the famous sportswear brand Adidas, as well as a few more deals with more other brands such as, Coca-Cola Zero, Sony, Mobile World 24, Die Monster Uni, Head & Shoulders and Mercedes-Benz.

Manuel Neuer personal life

In the following article, we have provided a series of his personal facts, legal issues or the good deeds he has shown to people in details. Follow us below if you are interested to know more about his family and relationships.

Family, children and relationships

His love towards football did not stop his love towards Kathrin Gilch. The two love birds’ relationship was confirmed as they had been seen together in public. His relationship with the model and hairdresser, Kathrin, would soon progress to the next level, at which they were about to get married. However, their marriage would fall apart due to the below-mentioned reasons.

Despite still being married to Kathrin, Manuel started dating Nina Weiss. Kathrin even traveled with Manuel to Brazil for the World Cup. She did not know that his feelings for her had been long gone.

After several months of getting along, the couple officially divorced. It was said by Kathrin that there was an agreement between the two, in which Manuel had to provide her with a monthly financial contribution. His new relationship with Nina Weiss was not ready to be announced yet, but the fact that they had been seen many times together in public forced them to confirm their relationship. They eventually got married in 2017 in Italy, Bar. In spite of the fact that Manuel was holding crutches during the wedding because of his recent foot injury, he still put on a happy face and showed his love towards his lover. Unfortunately, the couple broke up in 2020.

Manuel owes his current fame and professional career to his family. They supported him all the way through his career and enrolled him in different academies. He also owes his abilities to his brother, Marcel, as he helped him realize his true potential at a young age. Marcel Neuer is currently a football referee in the sixth tier of the German football league system.

Philanthropy

Manuel is a big supporter of the Gelsenkirchen-based catholic groups, who fight child poverty and help children in terms of supplying them with food or even providing them with a better place to live. He has proven to be a benevolent person in his life to the extent that, he even established his own charity organization named Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation.

“I know that I am privileged and that I'm lucky. I want to give back something. With my foundation, I want to fulfil social responsibility" as he stated to be his motive behind his foundation.

He even happens to be a big figure in Germany. He attended the “Wer Wid Millionaire” show, which is the German version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire” show, and won a huge sum of money. The money he won went directly to his charity foundation.

legal issues

Fortunately, so far Manuel Neuer has not had any legal problems.

Manuel Neuer career statistics

Now that we have examined and reviewed Manuel Neuer’s personal life, it is time we dived into his overall stats, both on club and international levels.

Club

Neuer has played for four teams during his club career, including, Schalke 04 II, Schalke 04 under-19, Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich. Overall, he has contributed in 669 club competitions.

Having received 21 yellow cards, he also has kept a total of 311 clean sheets and have conceded 551 goals.

International

Neuer made his senior international debut in 2009 and has contributed in 96 national competitions so far. Before joining the senior team, he had made a total of 36 appearances for the German national youth team. Having conceded 93 goals, he also has kept a total of 41 clean sheets for the senior team.

Manuel Neuer honors

Manuel Neuer has won several major trophies in both club competitions and international competitions as well as many individual trophies throughout his years, which we will take a detailed look at in the following section.

Individual

• Footballer of the Year (Germany): 2011 and 2014

• German national Player of the Year: 2020

• ESM Team of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15

• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012

• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020

• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper of the Decade: 2011–2020

• Best European Goalkeeper: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020

• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2020

• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

• UEFA Team of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015

• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019–20

• UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: 2019–20

• UEFA Men's Player of the Year: 2013–14 (2nd place), 2019–20 (3rd place)

• FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2014 (3rd place)

• The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper: 2020

• FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2014

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014

• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014

and many more. 

Club

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11

• DFL-Ligapokal: 2005

• Bundesliga: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20

• DFB-Pokal: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20

• DFL-Supercup: 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020

• UEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20

• UEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020

• FIFA Club World Cup: 2013

International

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

• FIFA World Cup: 2014

Of course, these are only his honors to the present day and he can expand his trophy cabinet as much as he is willing to, until he retires from what he has truly loved since his childhood, football.

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