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#5 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/Germany)
Manuel Neuer has reinvented the art of goalkeeping
Neuer was expected to be a strong contender for the 2014 Ballon d’Or award after the goalkeeper played a starring role in Germany’s World Cup win and Bayern Munich’s domestic success. The player was pipped by both Ronaldo and Messi in the voting process, which disappointed many including German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who described the result as unjust and that Neuer wasn’t given due recognition for his efforts in the year.
The German’s skills as sweeper-keeper are admired universally and he is widely considered as the best goalkeeper in the world currently by some distance and also counted among the best footballers in modern era. He stands a very good chance of being only the second goalkeeper since Lev Yashin in 1963 to win the prestigious football honour.
While at the age of 29, Neuer is older than Messi and only a year younger than Ronaldo, goalkeepers usually tend to play on much longer at the top level than strikers. Hence Neuer could play on with his best game for almost a decade, and his solid presence at the back for the strong German national team and Bayern Munich will keep the goalkeeper in the contention for the Ballon d’Or.
