Neuer aims to win over fans

Manuel Neuer is still planning how to win over the fans of new club Bayern Munich, who are reluctant to embrace the Schalke favourite.

Goalkeeper Neuer finalised a high-profile switch from boyhood team Schalke to their fierce Bundesliga rivals Bayern on Wednesday.

While Schalke fans pleaded with their hero to remain at the Veltins-Arena, some Bayern supporters are far from excited at the prospect of their new recruit – a self-confessed Schalke fanatic – picking up the gloves at the Allianz Arena.

Some of the Bayern were even seen holding up ‘No Neuer’ placards during the final rounds of the Bundesliga season.

“Until now I have no concrete strategy,” Neuer said when considering how to combat the hostility.

“But we have talked about this with Bayern officials and think we need to go to the fans and maybe have an open discussion about these issues.”

“This transfer dragged on for a while but I am happy to have reached this point and to be able to say that I will play for Bayern from this summer.”

Neuer had been touted as a potential replacement for Edwin van der Sar at English Premier League club Manchester United.

But the 25-year-old was never interested in a move away from Germany.

“I did not want to go abroad,” he said.

“The Bundesliga is a lucrative league and in Germany the best club is Bayern and I wanted to play for the best club in Germany.”

“I want to win lots of titles of course. On a personal level I hope to develop my game further because I haven’t reached my peak yet.”

Neuer, who cemented his place as first-choice Germany goalkeeper during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, will line-up for his country against Austria in a Euro 2012 qualifying match on Friday.

And his transfer to Bavarian giants Bayern means international teammates Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gomez, among others, are set to become club colleagues.

“It certainly won’t do any harm playing with my club colleagues in the national team,” he said.

“If you can train together every day, you start to develop new mechanisms. That can only be good for the national team.”