Guardiola wanted to play keeper Neuer in midfield, says Bayern's Rummenigge

The former Schalke man has become known for his skills with the ball at his feet, frequently standing well out of his area and acting as a so-called sweeper-keeper.

"I remember when Pep Guardiola, after winning a championship, seriously considered the idea of putting him in midfield for a match," Rummenigge told the club magazine '51'.

"I had trouble getting Pep Guardiola to give up on this idea, which some might have taken as being arrogant."

Bayern were dominating the Bundesliga at the time, however Rummenigge agreed that Neuer's ability with the ball meant that it was not such an eccentric idea.

"Manuel brought the footballer into goalkeeping and revolutionised this position," said Rummenigge -- although Colombia's Rene Higuita claimed to have invented the sweeper-keeper role in the 1990s and Mexico's Jorge Campos sometimes played as a striker for UNAM.

Manchester City boss Guardiola won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons at Bayern although Champions League success eluded him.