Manuel Neuer has acknowledged praised from Sir Alex Ferguson but insisted that there was never a chance of a previously-rumoured move to Old Trafford.
The Schalke 04 goalkeeper was complimented by the Scot following last night’s semi-final first leg at Veltins-Arena, from which the Red Devils emerged victorious 2-0. Ferguson was moved to describe Neuer’s game as “one of the best performances from a goalie I’ve ever seen against us”.
However Neuer, who is expected to make a move to Bayern Munich when his current contract expires this summer, told Sky Germany: “Manchester United was never an option for me. I will focus now on my performances and my team. All the other things don’t matter at the moment.”
He added that while he was happy to hear of Ferguson’s admiration, it provided little consolation for last night’s result. “Of course it’s nice to hear things like that, but we have lost 2-0 and that irritates me very much,” he told his club’s site.
Looking ahead to the second leg at Old Trafford, Neuer commented that the team has “nothing more to lose” and that while a Schalke victory is still possible, it would require “a perfect day”.
Dan Saney
