Biography of Jens Lehmann: Net Worth, Age, Career, Records, Family, Achievements!
Jens Lehmann is a former German professional football goalkeeper who played for major clubs like Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, and VfB Stuttgart. He was renowned for his penalty saving abilities, athleticism, and consistency between the posts during the peak years of his career.
What is Jens Lehmann best known for in his playing career?
Jens Lehmann is best known for being the goalkeeper of the Arsenal “Invincibles” team that went undefeated in winning the English Premier League title in 2004. He also helped Germany reach the World Cup final in 2002 and the Euro 2008 final for his national team.
Lehmann was considered one of the top goalkeepers in Europe during the early 2000s due to his shot-stopping abilities, positional sense, and capacity to organize his defense. He was a key member of Arsenal’s success under Arsene Wenger.
Overview of Jens Lehmann’s Career Honors and Achievements
In his long and successful career, Lehmann won numerous trophies at both club and international level.
Domestic Honors
- English Premier League with Arsenal in 2004
- DFB-Pokal with Schalke 04 in 2001 and 2002
- DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2017
- German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2002
International Honors
- UEFA Champions League runner-up with Arsenal in 2006
- FIFA World Cup runner-up with Germany in 2002
- UEFA Euro 2008 runner-up with Germany
Some of his individual achievements and records include:
- UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2005–06
- UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 2002–03
- Bundesliga Goalkeeper of the Year: 1993–94, 2004–05
- Went 853 minutes without conceding a Champions League goal
So in summary, Lehmann enjoyed domestic success in Germany and England, plus was part of German teams that challenged for major international tournaments.
Jens Lehmann’s Age and Early Beginnings
Jens Lehmann was born on November 10, 1969 in Essen, Germany. He is currently 54 years old.
He began his youth career playing for local club Schalke 04, progressing to their senior team in 1988 at just 18 years old. Lehmann spent his initial years as an understudy learning from veteran goalkeepers until cementing his place around 1992.
What big clubs did Jens Lehmann play for?
The major clubs Jens Lehmann played for during his professional career spanning over 20 years include:
- Schalke 04 (1988–1998, 2008–2011)
- AC Milan (1998–1999)
- Borussia Dortmund (1999–2003)
- Arsenal (2003–2008)
- VfB Stuttgart (2011)
So he played in Germany, England, and Italy – representing some of the most prestigious teams. His longest stint was his 12 total seasons with childhood club Schalke across two spells.
Net Worth and Endorsements
According to multiple reports, Jens Lehmann has a net worth estimated at approximately $10 Million as of 2023. The majority of this wealth has been accumulated through his contracts and wages playing for top European clubs over two decades.
As a high-profile goalkeeper starring for the German national team plus Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund at their peak, Lehmann also earned significant income from endorsements. These are a few major brands he has had sponsorship deals with over the years:
- Puma – Athletic gear and equipment
- McDonald’s – Appeared in commercials
- Coca-Cola – Featured in marketing campaigns
- EA Sports FIFA video games – German cover athlete
- Mastercard – World Cup advertising
So thanks to his playing fame and marketability, various sponsorships and partnerships have contributed to Lehmann’s multimillion dollar net worth after retirement.
Analysis and Highlights of His Career Peak Years
Analyzing the highlight years of his career, Jens Lehmann experienced his greatest personal success from around 2001-2006 while playing for Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
Peak Form with Borussia Dortmund
After inconsistent beginnings at Schalke and AC Milan, Lehmann first exhibited his true quality with Borussia Dortmund between 1999–2003. He helped lead them to the Bundesliga title in 2002 along with two German Cups.
- Key member of their league champion team
- Bundesliga keeper of the year in 2002 and 2003
- UEFA Champions League reaches quarterfinals
Starring for “Invincibles” at Arsenal
Jens Lehmann enjoyed his best years in England playing for Arsenal between 2003–2008, including their famous “Invincibles” unbeaten title-winning season in 2004.
- Did not lose a single league game in 2003-04 Premier League triumph
- Named in PFA Team of the Year and UEFA Team of the Year
- Runner-up in Champions League final in 2006
- Holds record for most consecutive clean sheets for Arsenal
So during these peak seasons at Dortmund and Arsenal, Lehmann demonstrated world-class shot-stopping, consistency, leadership, and discipline to rank among the very top keepers in Europe.
How many trophies did Jens Lehmann win in his club career?
Looking at his trophy cabinet, Jens Lehmann won a total of 5 major club titles during his career:
- 2 x DFB-Pokal (German Cup) – Schalke (2001, 2002)
- 1 x Bundesliga (German League) – Borussia Dortmund (2002)
- 1 x Premier League – Arsenal (2004)
- 1 x DFB-Pokal – Borussia Dortmund (2017)
The highlight was the famous “Invincibles” undefeated Premier League season at Arsenal in 2003-2004. He was considered one of the key players in their title victory.
Jens Lehmann’s Retirement Years and Post-Playing Career
Lehmann retired in 2011 at age 41. He finished his career with one final season back at childhood club Schalke 04. Since retirement, he has pursued several business ventures, commentary roles, and a coaching career:
Post-playing career and jobs:
- Eurosport Germany – Provides expert analysis and commentary during Champions League and Premier League coverage
- Assistant manager – Coached at Arsenal and German national team for periods
- Owned stake in football club TSF Ditzingen
- Established Lehmann Education company focused on coaching education
Additionally, some other notable endeavors he has undertaken include:
- Appeared on German reality dancing show Let’s Dance
- Developed and markets his own “Lehmann Code” coaching philosophy
- Launched player mentoring initiatives to develop goalkeeping talent
So in his life after football, Lehmann has stayed actively involved in the sport through media roles while expanding into business ownership and coaching education initiatives as well.
Quick Facts About His Personal Life
Beyond his playing career, here are some brief personal facts around Jens Lehmann’s family and other off-pitch interests:
- Married to Conny Lehmann in 2001 – 2 sons together
- Children’s names are Lasse and Linn
- Enjoys reading history books in free time
- Advocate against racism and discrimination
- Fluent in English, German, and basic Italian
So in summary, he maintains a quieter low-profile family life centred around wife Conny and kids Lasse and Linn these days while speaking out on social issues he feels strongly about.
Who were some famous teammates of Jens Lehmann for Germany and in his club career?
Throughout a long playing career at Europe’s top clubs and representing Germany, Lehmann had the fortune of calling some all-time great players his teammate. This includes household names like:
Schalke
- Marc Wilmots
- Michael Ballack
Borussia Dortmund
- Matthias Sammer
- Jan Koller
- Tomas Rosicky
Arsenal
- Thierry Henry
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Robert Pires
- Patrick Vieira
German National Team
- Michael Ballack
- Miroslav Klose
- Lukas Podolski
- Bastian Schweinsteiger
So he played alongside legends everywhere he went, no doubt learning from so many world-class talents around him daily in training.
Jens Lehmann’s Coaching and Management Career
Post-retirement, Jens Lehmann has undertaken assistant coaching roles for periods at former clubs Arsenal from 2017–2018 and German national team in 2019. He also served as a player-coach during his final season with Schalke in 2010-11.
In terms of management experience, Lehmann has not yet been appointed head coach at a major club. But some managerial positions he has taken include
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jens Lehmann enjoyed a highly successful playing career spanning over 20 years and featuring over 500 club appearances for major teams across Europe’s top leagues.
Though relatively short in height for a keeper at 6’0”, Lehmann demonstrated exceptional shot-stopping reflexes, positional sense, and competitiveness between the posts.
His individual peak came during dominant seasons at Borussia Dortmund and history-making Arsenal team that went unbeaten in 2003-04.
For Germany, he also proved a highly dependable keeper known for his penalty saving prowess. While a divisive character at times, Lehmann deserves recognition as one of the top goalkeepers of his generation.
Since retiring in 2011, Lehmann has stayed actively involved in football as a media pundit and through coaching education initiatives and business ventures bearing his “Lehmann Code” mentality and brand.
While he has yet to land a top-tier head coaching job, his passion for passing on knowledge remains strong as he aims to develop the next generation of goalkeeping talent in Germany and beyond.
FAQs About Jens Lehmann
What number did Jens Lehmann wear?
During his peak years at Arsenal and with the German national team, Jens Lehmann wore the number 1 jersey befitting his status as the first-choice starting goalkeeper. He also wore #1 during his lengthy spells at Schalke.
Why did Lehmann leave Arsenal?
After starring for several seasons at Arsenal, Jens Lehmann lost his firm grip on the #1 position during the 2007-08 season following some injuries and inconsistent performances. This led Arsene Wenger to sign Manuel Almunia to replace him, and Lehmann departed Arsenal in 2008 after his contract expired.
What is Lehmann’s best Bundesliga save?
In September 1997 while playing for Schalke, Lehmann made an acrobatic one-handed diving save at full stretch to deny a direct corner kick shot by St. Pauli’s Ingo Anderbrügge. It is considered one of the greatest reflex saves in Bundesliga history.
How long was Jens Lehmann’s career unbeaten home streak?
Across his lengthy career playing for Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, Lehmann set a personal record by going unbeaten for over 7 years in competitive home matches between February 1997 and May 2004 – a streak lasting 117 games.
What business ventures has Jens Lehmann founded?
Some of the business ventures Jens Lehmann has co-founded and invested in over the years include a stake in German semi-pro club TSF Ditzingen, founding a coaching education company called Lehmann Education focused on developing goalkeepers, and marketing his own “Lehmann Code” coaching system.
