Following Bastian Schweinsteiger’s retirement at international level, that meant that Joachim Löwe had to select a new captain. Step up, Manuel Neuer.
The Bayern Munich stopper was pleased to be named as the captain of the Germany national team, whilst he looks forward to mentoring the next generation of youngsters, ahead of the World Cup 2018 in Russia.
“We have a very good team council and I already had an important role in the team and in the council. I don’t think that being captain will lead to any big changes for me. After all, I’ve already stood in for Bastian Schweinsteiger a few times. I’m very proud to now be captain of the national team. Lahm and Schweinsteiger have done a lot of good work, and I just hope that I can grow into the role and follow in their footsteps,” said Neuer.
“We’ve successfully introduced lots of young players to the national team over the last few years. I will try to make sure they are integrated into the group and feel at home. That’s always worked well up to now, which you can see in the performances of the young players. I try to pass on our values to them, as professional players have to be role models for children and young people. You have to behave responsibly both on and off the pitch as well.”
