A very special record: Manuel Neuer makes history at Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer has become the oldest player to appear for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga after playing against FSV Mainz 05.
At 40 years and 225 days old, Neuer passed Bernd Dreher's record of 40 years and 198 days. Dreher played for the Munich club from 1996 to 2008, with a break, as their second- or third-choice goalkeeper. Now 60, he made just 15 competitive appearances for Bayern Munich.
Neuer's appearance against Mainz takes him to seventh on the all-club Bundesliga list. Only Mirko Votava (Werder Bremen), Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04), Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen), Toni Schumacher (Borussia Dortmund), Uli Stein (Arminia Bielefeld) and record holder Klaus Fichtel (Schalke 04) are ahead of him. Fichtel played his final match in 1988 at the age of 43 years and 184 days.
With Neuer's Bayern Munich contract expiring at the end of the season, he is also expected to end his career then. If he plays on the final matchday of the Bundesliga, he would become the competition's sixth-oldest player, provided Dzeko, who is just ahead of him and is still active, continues to make appearances until then.
Manuel Neuer recently missed Bayern Munich games with a foot injury
Various health problems have troubled Neuer in recent months, most recently a foot injury that kept him out for three games. He returned on Tuesday in the 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Against Mainz, Neuer makes his ninth appearance of the season. Jonas Urbig deputised for him in the other seven competitive matches. Bayern Munich regard the 23-year-old as Neuer's designated successor, and he is probably next in line for the Germany national team too. Neuer had retired from the national team for a second time after the embarrassing World Cup in the summer.
