Dieter Erler was a German footballer.

He began his footballing career with Chemie Glauchau in 1953. He transferred to Wismut Gera in December 1958, and then after a brief spell, moved to SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt

FC Erzgebirge Aue

FC Erzgebirge Aue is a German football club based in Aue, Saxony. The former East German side was a charter member of the 3. Liga in 2008–09, after being relegated from the 2. Bundesliga in 2007–08. The city of Aue has a population of about 18,000 making it one of the smallest cities to ever...

 in January 1959. Erler was both a playmaker

Playmaker

In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....

 and a goalscoring midfielder.

In 1963 Erler moved to SC Karl-Marx-Stadt

Chemnitzer FC

Chemnitzer FC is a German association football club based in Chemnitz, Saxony.The roots of the club go back to its establishment as Chemnitzer BC 1933 in 1933 after the collapse of former Chemnitzer BC 1899....

, where he played alongside the player described by Pelé

Pelé

However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

 as the best left-winger

Winger (sport)

In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...

 in the world at the time: Eberhard Vogel

Eberhard Vogel

Eberhard "Ebse" Vogel is a former German football player.Vogel played for FC Karl-Marx-Stadt and FC Carl Zeiss Jena ....

. In 1966–67 the team was crowned DDR-Oberliga

DDR-Oberliga

The DDR-Oberliga was, prior to German reunification in 1990, the elite level of football competition in the DDR , being roughly equivalent to the Oberliga or Bundesliga in West Germany.-Overview:Following World...

 champion.

Between 1959 and 1972 he played for SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt and then FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. During his career he gained 47 international cap

Cap (sport)

In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

s and scored 12 goals for East Germany

East Germany national football team

The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....

.

He was voted GDR footballer of the year in 1967.