Manuel Neuer and a Goalkeeper XI Who Could Have Played Outfield

At the peak of his powers at 28, Manuel Neuer is well on the way to being one of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play football. A World Cup win with Germany this year confirmed his excellence, adding another trophy to a collection already bulging since he made the switch to Bayern Munich. 

Neuer also proves that a great 'keeper does not have to be confined to the net, often playing nearer the halfway line than the penalty area. But he is far from the first shot-stopper to show talent outside the box. 

In honour of the FIFA Ballon d'Or contender, here are 10 more No. 1s from down the years that also refused to be constrained by their jersey. A team composed of these eccentric talents would be a fearsome prospect. 

Oliver Kahn

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Germany and Bayern Munich legend Oliver Kahn may not have had the dribbling skills of Rene Higuita or Juan Pablo Carrizo, but he was a fearsome sight charging out of goal. There was a reason that the hulking shot-stopper played over 400 games for Die Roten and gathered 86 Germany caps, picking up a sterling collection of silverware. 

In a hypothetical goalkeepers' XI, Kahn would make a fine addition in central defence, breathing down strikers' necks and adding a real threat in the air. 

Hugo Lloris

Tottenham Hotspur and France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has grown in the last few years to become one of the best players in his position in the world. As well as possessing the reflexes and agility necessary to make sometimes incredible stops, the ex-Nice and Lyon man has a secret weapon. 

In a similar vein to Neuer, Lloris is not afraid to charge out of his goal in order to close down the attack, taking the risk to leave the net. The good thing for Spurs fans is the Frenchman has the speed and quality to make it look easy. 

Juan Pablo Carrizo

Former River Plate shot-stopper Juan Pablo Carrizo is an athletic, if slightly erratic man to have between the posts. But the current Inter reserve is also extremely talented with the ball at his feet. 

Carrizo revels in the chance to beat straying forwards with his dribbling ability, making outfield players look silly with a few twists and turns before getting the ball away. Occasionally, the high-risk tactic has backfired, but he usually has the talent to pull off his theatrics. 

Jorge Campos

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Mexico's larger-than-life goalkeeper Jorge Campos was an extrovert in every way. When the veteran of 130 caps was not blinding supporters with his garish jersey, he electrified them with forays far from his own net. 

Campos was arguably the most talented goalkeeper in history, in terms of his outfield play. He finished his career with 34 goals, and sometimes came out of goal to play as a striker when his team were failing to score. 

Peter Schmeichel

The hulking frame of Peter Schmeichel does not suggest that the Great Dane would be particularly adept out on the pitch. But appearances are deceptive; the former Manchester United star's distribution, athleticism and intelligence made him one of the greatest 'keepers ever to represent the Red Devils. 

Schmeichel would have also made a tough centre-forward, if his occasional incursions into the opposition area are anything to go by. On more than one occasion, the goalkeeper went up for late corners to steer a header or volley in, getting United out of a tight situation. 

Petar Radenkovic

While Manuel Neuer is now the undisputed king of the sweeper-keepers, the Bayern Munich man is not the first shot-stopper playing in the Bavarian city to be fond of adventures further up the field. Compared to 1860 Munich legend Petar Radenkovic, the current Germany No. 1 appears rather tame. 

The Yugoslavian exile, whose defection to West Germany meant he picked up just three caps for his nation, revolutionised the goalkeeper position in the 1950s and 60s. Radenkovic would charge from his own area with the ball at feet, electrifying the Bundesliga and winning the title once in 1965/66. 

Rene Higuita

There have been other pretenders, but no goalkeeper can contend with Rene Higuita for the crown of football's most eccentric, outrageous figure between the posts. Literally anything was possible when the Colombian approached the ball. 

The fourth highest-scoring 'keeper of all time, Higuita became an overnight sensation in England with his stunning scorpion kick in an international friendly. But the legend had begun far earlier. Higuita's dribbles, suicidal runs with the ball and apparent disregard for his own net made him an unforgettable figure. 

Rogerio Ceni

Unlike his Latin American colleagues Campos and Higuita, Sao Paulo idol Rogerio Ceni keeps more of a static presence in goal. That is, until the Brazilian is called to cross the halfway line and take a thundering free-kick or penalty. 

Ceni is still going for his first club at the age of 41, after 1184 games and an amazing 123 goals. Football will probably not see his like again, as he prepares for yet another Copa Libertadores campaign with the Tricolor in 2015 and the chance to extend his record as the world's highest-scoring goalkeeper even further. 

Bruce Grobbelaar

For some reason, former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar appears to escape mention when observers discuss the brilliant Reds team of the 1980s. But with six First Division titles, three FA Cups and one European Cup, the Zimbabwe international deserves to be up with the very best, not to mention the most eccentric, players to have walked out on Anfield. 

An excellent goalkeeper in his own right, Grobbelaar also had that touch of madness common to the position. He regularly came sprinting out of the net to break down attacks, and even took the odd throw-in when his team-mates dawdled in getting back to the ball. 

Manuel Neuer

While it is hard to make sweeping statements for the position, if Manuel Neuer is not currently the best goalkeeper in the world, then he at least deserves a mention as one of the very finest around. The Bayern Munich man's shot-stopping is second to none, but more often than not, attackers do not even get a chance to approach the net. 

Neuer prefers to play outside of his own penalty area, sweeping up any loose ends as Pep Guardiola's Die Roten press incessantly in the opposition half. He has the athleticism, football ability and vision to make one of football's hardest talents, something beyond 99.9 percent of goalkeepers, look very simple indeed. 

Jose Luis Chilavert

Eccentric, self-confident to a fault and equipped with a terrifyingly aggressive approach to the game, Jose Luis Chilavert was not a man to cross on the football pitch. Easier said than done, because at any given time, the Paraguayan legend could turn up almost anywhere. 

In 1999, Chila was the first goalkeeper to score a hat-trick, netting three penalties for Velez Sarsfield against Ferro. For years, he held the distinction of being football's top-scoring glovesman before the evergreen Ceni overtook him. The shot-stopper was an irrepressible character, with a talent for free-kicks and penalties far beyond most outfield stars. 

A Possible All-Time Goalkeeper Best XI

Jon Super/Associated Press

Chilavert

Ceni Kahn Grobbelaar Lloris 

Carrizo Campos Neuer Radenkovic 

Higuita

Schmeichel