Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will undoubtedly go down as one of football's greatest-ever goalkeepers as he begins to wind down a spectacular career.
The World Cup and Champions League winner was one of the figureheads of the modern era of goalkeeping, pairing a remarkable shot-stopping ability with a previously unseen sweeping tendency and comfort on the ball.
The 38-year-old put pen to paper to announce the end of an international career spanning 15 years, taking an emotional walk through a period glittered in success and achievements.
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Neuer ends international career
Neuer ended his international career with an interview with The Players' Tribune, stating: "But now that I’m retiring from the national team, I want to write a little more than just an Instagram post."
The stopper was a mainstay in an interesting time for the German national team, playing a key role in their 2014 World Cup success while also surviving the wholesale changes brought about by the 2018 disappointment.
However, the stopper opted to focus more on the reception he received following a leg break which threatened to end his career just 18 months ago.
"Just 18 months ago, I was wondering whether I would ever play football again," he wrote.
"At first when I broke my leg, I was thinking that it wasn’t such a big deal. The helicopter would pick me up, the doctors would do their thing and I would be back on the pitch. But when I got to the hospital, it became very clear that this was not just a normal fracture. My future as a footballer was in doubt.
"The hardest part was the worrying. One moment you are out skiing, the next you are staring into a hospital wall, thinking that this passion that has been part of your identity all your life can be taken away from you.
"I was scared. I think anyone would be."
Neuer marked his return to the national team prior to Euro 2024, an unlikely return from such a horrific injury at an age most players had already long retired.
"When I was announced in the tournament [Euro 2024] squad, it was one of the proudest achievements of my life.
"A small miracle. Of course, many people doubted that I could still be our number one. I was 38, and I had been out for nearly a year. But the staff gave me the assurances that I needed to fight for the spot, and I knew that I had been performing well. I even told myself that maybe my real age was 35, if you added up all the injuries I’d had — the time that had been stolen from me.
"When our first game started, I felt that thrill of competing in a major tournament. I blocked out everything. I was in my favourite place on Earth….
"Between the posts. Playing for my country. And I remember feeling the enthusiasm from the crowd again. As a team, we had worked very hard to win back that feeling, you know?
"That bond between the team and the people, that sense that we stand together as one country — we had missed that. At the Euros, we felt it again."
The stopper confirmed his desire to continue with Bayern Munich beyond the summer as the Bavarian club look to reclaim their spot at the top of German and European football once more.
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