The last time Gelsenkirchen hosted such an important UEFA Champions League match, Manuel Neuer was a wide-eyed ball boy soaking up the atmosphere as FC Porto triumphed over AS Monaco FC in the 2004 final.
The Germany No1 will take centre stage on Tuesday, however, when FC Schalke 04 entertain Manchester United FC in the first leg of their semi-final tie.
So much has happened to Neuer in the last seven years, it would be understandable if the 25-year-old struggled to recall the details of Porto’s big night in the Ruhr region, but the experience remain etched in his mind. “I was standing right on the pitch,” Neuer told UEFA.com. “Back then it was a dream for me to be able to be at that match. Now it’s a dream for me to be playing in the semi-finals.”
