‘Guardiola wanted to play Neuer in midfield!’ – Bayern Munich goalkeeper could’ve lined up outfield, reveals Rummenigge

A coach currently calling the shots at Premier League champions Manchester City had been eager to experiment during his time at the Allianz Arena

Pep Guardiola was keen to line Manuel Neuer up as a midfielder during his time in charge of , with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealing that an experiment was mooted once a title triumph was wrapped up.

The current boss spent three years at the Allianz Arena between 2013 and 2016.

He delivered considerable success, including a hat-trick of domestic crowns, and was always looking to push his players to bigger and better things.

Guardiola has, over the course of a distinguished coaching career, been famed for his willingness to tinker with plans and try something different.

When at Bayern, he considered taking that approach to the extreme by fielding a World Cup-winning goalkeeper outfield.

He was eventually blocked from doing so, with the decision taken that Neuer should remain in his natural position between the sticks.

Bayern CEO Rummenigge said in the foreword for the club’s official magazine ‘51’: “Manuel invented the art of being a footballer as a goalkeeper and revolutionised this position.

“I still remember how Pep Guardiola, after winning a championship, seriously came up with the idea of ​​putting him in midfield for a game.”

Rummenigge admits he “found it difficult to dissuade Pep from this idea, which some of us felt might be interpreted as arrogance. But I am convinced that Manu would have done well in midfield, too.”

Had Neuer been given a run out in the engine room, then he could have been expected to have given his all.

The 33-year-old has never given anything less since linking up with Bayern in 2011 and buying into the winning mentality of the club.

He has told the club’s official website: “You realise pretty quickly that things are different at FC Bayern compared to other clubs.

“Winning can soon become normality for the people here but for us it’s hard work.

“I have a completely different view on what many people have regarded for decades as the legendary ‘Bayern-luck’. That for me is the unrelenting belief in being able to turn a game around right up until the final whistle – as we showed twice at the end of the first half of the season. That belief, that confidence, is ingrained in the club and its tradition.”

With that in mind, Neuer is determined to ensure that Bayern, who have endured the odd wobble this season, continue to chase down domestic and European honours in 2019-20.

He added: “Essentially, any year without trophies for an ambitious club like FC Bayern would be a lost year, although there are exceptions.

“After finishing runners-up in all three competitions in 2012, we went into the following season hugely motivated and won the treble.

“But we’re still in the mix for all three competitions anyway, so I don’t think that question needs be asked.”