The former international central defender is known for his aerial prowess and tight man-marking and a penchant for scoring decisive goals. Manuel Friedrich began his career at SG Guldental 07 and then made his professional debut with Mainz in 1995 in the second division. His outstanding performances were noted by the Bundesliga clubs and he was picked up by SV Werder Bremen in 2002 and contributed to the team’s 2003–04 Bundesliga victory. He went back to Mainz, then moved to Bayer Leverkusen and finally Borussia Dortmund in November 2013, making his debut against Bayern Munich. Friedrich scored his first goal for BVB in February 2014, his 16th goal in the German top division.
