Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer still the standard-bearer for German goalkeepers
They say age is just a number, but 39-year-old Manuel Neuer has always shown a preference to be number one. The Bayern Munich stalwart's strong performances at the start of the season suggest he is not going to give up that role anytime soon.
If there were any doubts about Neuer's sharpness heading into his 20th Bundesliga season, those were quickly dispelled during Bayern's 2-1 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup win over VfB Stuttgart in August.
The cup winners were pushing for an equaliser with a vociferous home crowd behind them when the Bayern shot stopper halted the momentum that was taking him across the goal and stuck out his right hand to turn a Jamie Leweling piledriver over the crossbar with a breathtaking save. That was just one of a number of fine stops that brought the goalkeeping legend Man of the Match honours.
Watch: Neuer the main man at Supercup
Neuer then started the Bundesliga campaign in the best possible style, keeping a clean sheet as Bayern romped to a 6-0 win over RB Leipzig.
After Bayern maintained their perfect start with a 3-2 win in Augsburg, his counterpart at the other end of the field, Finn Dahmen, was singing Neuer's praise following his maiden call-up to the Germany squad.
Dahmen said: "Manuel Neuer was a major influence on my upbringing. He's always been there in goal as long as I can remember and was an idol in my youth. It's incredible to play against him."
Having missed 15 matches last season due to injury, a fit-again Neuer is a sight that Bayern fans are cherishing.
Having beaten stiff competition from Alexander Nübel, Daniel Peretz and Jonas Urbig to keep net for the champions, there have been calls for him to reconsider his international retirement, too.
Germany legend Lothar Matthäus said: "If [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen is fit and playing regularly, he has to be the number one. Otherwise I see Neuer as our goalkeeper at the World Cup, if he's available."
Don't expect to hear any words from the Bayern captain on that topic, however, as he appears to be firmly focusing on giving his all for his club for now.
He will mark his 40th birthday before the 2025/26 season is out, but that doesn't mean he is on his last dance.
Goalkeepers can, on occasion, play at the top level into their 40s, with the great Gianluigi Buffon playing until the age of 45.
Just how much Neuer adds to his bulging trophy collection of 12 Bundesliga titles, five DFB Cups and the 2014 World Cup remains to be seen.
Whatever the end total, when the curtain eventually comes down, he can look back on a staggering career that he could have barely dreamt about as a fresh-faced 20-year-old making his Bundesliga debut for Schalke back in August 2006.
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