I would never have thought I was capable of sitting on the bench as the number two man. And it showed me that you can really achieve everything in life, even the unthinkable, as long as you're willing to work on yourself a little bit.

When you look at our programme for the next few weeks, you do not fancy a trip to the Oktoberfest.

After a decade in a club it's quite normal and necessary that you seek and take a new challenge.

Of course, success is a relative term. It can be something completely different from winning the German championship eight times or making millions.

I have always seen myself as an athlete. Of course, I made the mistake of unintentionally opening the door to my private life by just a crack. I wouldn't do the same thing again. It has to be accepted that my private life is private, and if that isn't the case, I have to do something about it.

It's part of my game to occasionally send a message, one that may be unpopular to the outside world, but can be important for the team.

I think Neuer changed the game of goalkeeping in the World Cup.