René Adler

René Adler

Adler with Germany in 2011.
Personal information
Full name	René Adler
Date of birth	(1985-01-15) 15 January 1985 (age 32)
Place of birth	Leipzig, East Germany
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Hamburger SV
Number	1
Youth career
1991–2000	VfB Leipzig
2000–2003	Bayer Leverkusen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2006	Bayer Leverkusen II	30	(0)
2006–2012	Bayer Leverkusen	138	(0)
2012–	Hamburger SV	98	(0)
National team‡
2000–2001	Germany U15	7	(0)
2001–2002	Germany U17	15	(0)
2002–2003	Germany U18	6	(0)
2003–2004	Germany U19	9	(0)
2004–2005	Germany U20	8	(0)
2005	Germany U21	4	(0)
2008–	Germany	12	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 May 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 June 2015

René Adler (born 15 January 1985) is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and for the German national team. Adler is the vice captain of Hamburg.

Adler is the son of former East German international Jens Adler.

Adler started at age six playing for VfB Leipzig's youth side. After nine years for Leipzig, Adler joined the youth system of Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2000.

After serving the youth system, Adler joined the B team in 2002. He made eight appearances for the B team in the 2002–03 season. At the beginning of the 2003–04 season he became part of the clubs first team, which played in the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, he didn't make an appearance and continued to play for the second team. He also failed to make any first team appearances during the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. However, in the 2005–06 Regionalliga season, he made 19 appearances for the B team. In May 2006 he sustained a rib craze, which led to a surgery in which his rib was strengthened. Because of his injury Adler had to pause until February 2007.

He made his Bundesliga debut in dramatic fashion on 25 February 2007 against league leaders Schalke 04. With starting goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt serving a suspension following a red card, Adler saved ten shots on goal, repelling Schalke's repeated attacks. A breakaway goal by Stefan Kießling in the 85th minute gave Leverkusen a 1–0 upset victory. Leverkusen manager Michael Skibbe praised Adler's "world-class saves". He stopped Schalke's record of 13 games unbeaten, Stuttgart's record of five games unbeaten and Hamburger SV four-game winning spree with a saved penalty kick against Rafael van der Vaart. He ended up making 15 appearances in all competitions for the first team and two appearances for the B team. On 8 March 2008 Adler made his first international appearance, losing the UEFA Cup round of last 16 first leg against RC Lens. He finished the 2007–08 season with 44 appearances in all competitions for the first team.