Robert Enke

Enke started to play football at BSG Jenapharm Jena, a local club in his city. In 1985 he came to the youth teams of Jena's major football club, Carl Zeiss Jena. On 11 November 1995, at the age of 18, he played his first professional match for Jena in the German 2. Bundesliga. In 1996, he came to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.

From 1997 to 1999 he played in fifteen matches for the German under-21 national team. In 1999 he was nominated as one of three goalkeepers of the national team and he went to the FIFA Confederations Cup in the same year. After leaving Germany in 1999 and playing in Portugal, Spain and Turkey, he was not nominated.

In 2006, having played in Germany for two years, he was nominated as a stand-by goalkeeper for the world championships. After that he returned to the team, on 28 March 2007 he made his first match for the team (against Denmark). In May 2008 he became goalkeeper number two after Jens Lehmann who was already 38 years old. After UEFA Euro 2008, Jens Lehmann left the national team. On 8 October 2008, Enke broke his hand, so René Adler played his first match in the national team. Other goalkeepers who were tested were Manuel Neuer and Tim Wiese.

Enke's last club was Hannover 96. He had a contract until the year 2010. In 2007 he became team captain for the club. He had played eight matches for the national team. His last match for the national team was on 12 August 2009 against Azerbaijan, his last club match was on 8 November 2009 against Hamburg.

Enke and his wife had a daughter who died in 2006. She was two years old. In 2009 they adopted another daughter.[3]

Enke died in the evening of 10 November 2009 when he was hit by a train near Neustadt am Rübenberge. His advisor said that Enke committed suicide.[3] The next day, there was a press conference with Enke's widow and his psychiatrist. They said that Enke had had a major depressive disorder (depression) since the year 2003.[4]

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• Robert Enke