Schalke keeper keeps feet firmly on the ground

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer performed heroics on the pitch to send Schalke 04 through to the Champions League quarter-finals but the 21-year-old showed his heart remains firmly with the fans.

Neuer saved spot-kicks from Bruno Alves and Lisandro Lopez - the second a brilliant one-handed block, high to his left - to send Schalke through with a 4-1 win over Porto on penalties.

While coach Mirko Slomka and the rest of the team were extolling Neuer to reporters, the goalkeeper himself climbed into the crowd to celebrate with his friends.

Neuer, Gelsenkirchen born and bred, was in the crowd at the old Parkstadion for the first leg of the 1997 UEFA Cup final, when a 1-0 win over Inter gave Schalke a good result to take to Italy.

It was in the second leg 11 years ago that Jens Lehmann earned his place as a Schalke great, helping the side to a 4-1 win on penalties after Inter had managed a 1-0 win after 90 and 120 minutes.

The similarity both of the scoreline and the performance inevitably saw Neuer compared to Lehmann after the Porto win but the keeper shrugged off the compliment.

"This was a knock-out game but it wasn't a final," Neuer said.

"I was there for the game at home to Inter and a lot of my friends were here tonight. I wanted to celebrate with them.

"It was great being involved in a game like this and it's fantastic to be in the quarter-finals. I was very nervous before the shoot-out, even if I didn't show it."

Neuer is one of a group of talented German goalkeepers lining up as future replacements for Lehmann and he may yet earn a place in the squad for Euro 2008.