Manuel Neuer has the potential to be grouped alongside great German goalkeepers such as Sepp Maier and Oliver Kahn. A European Under-21 champion, he broke into the senior squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and has raised his profile further since leaving FC Schalke 04 for FC Bayern München.

• A graduate of the Schalke academy, he caught the eye with a brilliant display away to FC Porto in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League, his many saves including two in a penalty shoot-out that took his team through to the quarter-finals.

• A stalwart in Germany's U21 side, he became a European champion at that level in 2009, starting all five matches in Sweden and conceding just one goal.

• Capped for the first time at senior level on the eve of those U21 finals – in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates – he became Germany's first choice at the 2010 FIFA World Cup after the death of Robert Enke and an injury to René Adler.

• Ever-present in 2009/10 as Schalke finished runners-up in the Bundesliga, he was appointed club captain at the start of 2010/11 and successfully skippered his team to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

• Made a stunning start to his career at the Fußball Arena München after joining Bayern in June 2011, setting a club record of 1,147 minutes without conceding a goal between early August and mid-October.

• Appeared in all but one of Bayern's matches en route to the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, where he scored a penalty past Petr Čech in the shoot-out but ultimately ended up on the losing team against Chelsea FC.

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2012
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: winner 2009