Manuel Neuer in profile

"I think that he would certainly score a few goals in the second division, if he was a striker," Miroslav Klose once famously said of Manuel Neuer.

At the World Cup, Manuel Neuer became a worldwide sensation as he hovered around the halfway line to cut off his opponent's counterattacks. On the Internet and across social media, Neuer is celebrated as being the re-birth of the sweeper. The world's governing body named the 28-year-old the best goalkeeper at the tournament in Brazil. "He has brought goalkeeping to a new level," said former keeper Oliver Kahn.

Until his move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2011, Neuer was almost a Schalke tradition. Born in the Gelsenkirchen suburb of Buer, not far from Schalke's old stadium, he joined the Royal Blues just before his fifth birthday.

"In my first team, they didn't have a goalkeeper," Neuer said. "So they put me in goal." He started to make the job of goalkeeping his career, and on Saturday afternoons he would join the rest of the die-hard Schalke fans in the north stand. Neuer progressed through all the club's junior teams before making his debut in the Bundesliga in August 2006 against Alemannia Aachen at the age of just 20.

Three months later Schalke's coach, Mirko Slomka, made Neuer the number one goalkeeper at the club. In 2010, the team came second in the league and they won the German Cup in 2011. Shortly thereafter, Neuer headed to Bayern Munich, Germany's undisputed top club.

Silencing the critics

Schalke's fans were obviously angry, but Bayern's supporters hardly welcomed their new goalkeeper with open arms. "Koan Neuer" ('No Neuer') signs were held up in the stands in a typical show of Bavarian parochialism. But the signs came down pretty quickly, as Neuer proved his skills time and again between the posts.

In the 2012/2013 season, Neuer managed a new Bundesliga record conceding just 18 goals in the season. He was a major reason why the team won their famous treble that year too, lifting the Bundesliga title, the German Cup, and the Champions League.

After Neuer played for Germany in the country's junior ranks, he played his first game for the men's national team in 2009, under Joachim Löw. René Adler injured himself ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Löw opted for Neuer. The Bayern Munich man didn't disappoint, playing a strong tournament. Since then, he's been the undisputed number one choice in between Germany's posts.

Strong reflexes on the line, dominant in the penalty area: These have been hallmarks of German goalkeeping and have been demonstrated over the years by the likes of Sepp Maier, Toni Schumacher and Oliver Kahn. What makes Neuer so different is the way that he dictates the game. With his long, precise throws, he often sets up his attackers perfectly. His trademark though, is spectacular excursions outside of his area. He's not always successful, but most of the time he stops counter-attacking moves before they can develop.

Neuer's skill comes from how he reads the game. He sees danger before it happens and challenges the opponents so early, that it often difuses the situation. His strong ball skills help him. The 6'3" giant has two good feet and is also able to clear the ball well with his head. "He is a complete goalkeeper," says Andreas Köpke, Germany's goalkeeping coach.

The strong, silent type

Manuel Neuer seems to be less emotional and aggressive on the pitch, when compared to, say, Oli Kahn or Toni Schumacher. Even outside of the game, or in press conferences, he's not one for the big statements. In fact, his interviews are often so considered that you think he must have slept a night on the answers before giving them.

With his "Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation" the goalkeeper helps needy kids in his home region of the Ruhr Valley. In comparison to many other footballers he publicizes little of his private life, although in October Neuer said that he had separated from his long-time girlfriend.