On March 27, 1986, a boy was born in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He grew up idolising German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, with a dream of being a shotstopper. Little did that little boy know that he would grow up to change the way the position is played and become the "GOATkeeper" in so many fans' hearts.
Manuel Neuer turns 40 years old today, but it feels like yesterday when he was a budding goalkeeper at Schalke. His brilliance at the Royal Blues earned him a €30 million move to Bayern Munich. Fast forward 15 years, and he is undeniably a legend of the club, of world football, and arguably the best goalkeeper of all time.
Nearly 600 games for Die Roten, 275 clean sheets, and a trophy collection even the greatest players could be jealous of are a testament to his legacy.
It is indeed hard to pick out five of his best moments at the club after 15 years, but here are our favourites.
Double-save heroics against Real Madrid
Let's ignore the conclusion of that 2011/12 season, but the semi-final against Real Madrid gave us so many big Neuer memories. Neuer denied both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in the penalty shootout to win Bayern the game at Bernabeu.
This performance shattered any doubts from sceptical fans. From this moment on, they know they can always put their trust in this man between the posts.
In this very first season for Bayern, Neuer also went 770 minutes without conceding in the Bundesliga, the third-longest streak in the league's history.
Top 3 in Ballon D'Or
How many goalkeepers can say they are nominated for the Ballon D'Or, let alone being in the top 3? Not to mention, he did it during the prime of the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era.
In 58 games that season for club and country, he kept 31 clean sheets en route to a domestic double with Bayern and a World Cup with Germany. It would have been nearly impossible for any modern-day goalkeeper to replicate his impact and performance during that 2014 period.
The viral one-handed stop against Cristiano Ronaldo
By 2017, Manuel Neuer was recognised as the best goalkeeper in the world with his excellent link-up plays and sweeping ability. But his lightning reflexes were an underrated and underspoken aspect of what had propelled him to this next level.
In the 2017 Champions League legs against Real Madrid, Neuer pulled out a superhuman save against Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar fired the ball near the edge of the box with extraordinary power, a shot that travelled so fast it felt nearly impossible for regular goalkeepers to stop with both hands.
Yet, Neuer just "casually" put up his arm and produced a legendary one-handed reflex save that is still being displayed on repeat in every highlight reel today.
The "Wall of Lisbon" claimed his second treble
The 2020 version of Bayern Munich was virtually unstoppable. Hansi Flick built an attack so dominant and a midfield so well-rounded that seemingly no team were able to touch them. But this dominant side almost came empty-handed in the Champions League that season without Manuel Neuer in goal.
The German goalkeeper played the game of his life in the Champions League Final against PSG, stopping Neymar, Angel di Maria, and Kylian Mbappe with impossible point-blank saves. How disgustingly frustrated must the PSG players have felt on that day? It almost seemed like the goal was impenetrable.
Seeing Neuer standing tall, spreading his arms with killer eyes, and you know it is a wrap for the other team. Kingsley Coman might have been the Man of the Match for scoring the winner, but Manuel Neuer deserved to be called a hero on that day.
THE Original Sweeper Keeper
It could not be a Manuel Neuer best memory countdown without some sweeper keeper actions. He virtually redefined the position with his tendency to rush out and clear the ball. Neuer turned the goalie from a static, passive position to an active, last-line defender. His ability to read the play and rush accurately has enabled many generations of Bayern head coaches to deploy an aggressive pressing tactic, knowing they will have support if the ball is dropped in behind.
One of the best memories is when Neuer came all the way to Bayer Leverkusen's box after sweeping the ball near midfield in 2011.
In addition to being a defensive anchor, his sweeper-keeper role is also extremely active in building up plays. Many may remember his beautiful long-range assist to Robert Lewandowski against Benfica in 2021 or when he stole the ball from Kim Min-jae and delivered a pinpoint switch to Kingsley Coman against PSG in 2024.
Don't forget how press-resistant he is. Any fans remember that cheeky lob over a Hertha Berlin attacker or that heel flick against Frankfurt?
Bonus: Who wants to be a Millionaire?
Manuel Neuer featured in the special German celebrity edition of "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" (Wer wird Millionär?). He also came close to winning the grand prize, but he backed out on question 15 and won €500,000.