A functionalized polymer having the general formula π-Q-J m where π is a polymer chain comprising diene mer, J is a functional group comprising at least one heteroatom, m is an integer of from 1 to 3 inclusive, and Q is a linking group of the general formula -C NH-R-[NHC] m - in which each Z independently is an oxygen or sulfur atom and R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or C 1 -C 40 aliphatic hydrocarbylene group, characterized in that J is the radical of a nucleophile HOR"NH 2, HSR"NH 2, HOR"SH, H 2 NR"NH 2, where R" represents a substituted or unsubstituted divalent aliphatic or aromatic group or a group containing a heteroatom selected from O, S, N and P wherein polymers made by processes 1 and 2 as set out below are not encompassed: in a dried and under nitrogen 20L layered steel reactor to a stirred solution of 13 wt-% 1,3-butadiene in technical-grade hexane a solution ofdiisobutylaluminium hydride in hexane (DIBAH, Al(C 4 H 9) 2 H), a solution of ethylaluminium sesquichloride in hexane (EASC, Al 2 (C 2 H 5) 3 Cl 3) in-an equimolar amount to the neodymium, and a solution of neodymium in hexane (NdV, Nd(O 2 C 10 H 19) 3) were added, the mixed solution was heated to 73 °C for 60 minutes, subsequently, 1,6-hexamethylenediisocyante (component) was added with 100 ml of hexane through a burette while stirring, after another 30 minutes, component B was added together with the polyurethane catalyst dibutyltin laurate and 100 ml of hexane through a burette while stirring, after one hour reaction time, the polymer solution was stabilized with 2.6 g Irganox 1520 stabilizer dissolved in 100 ml of hexane, and then the polymer was precipitated out with 10 litres of ethanol and then dried at 60°C in a vacuum drying oven, quantities of the reaction materials are displayed below: Material Process 1 Process 2 Hexane [g] 8500 4350 1,3-butadiene [g] 1300 650 DIBAH 18.35% [ml] 23 12 EASC 20% [ml] 2.5 1.2 NdV 8.7% [ml] 2.8 1.4 Component [g] 2.3 1.2 Component 1,4-para-phenylenediamine Ethylenediamine Component [g] 3 0.5 Dibutyltin laurate[ml] 0.5 0 in a dried and under nitrogen 20L layered steel reactor to a stirred solution of 13 wt-% 1,3-butadiene in technical-grade hexane a solution ofdiisobutylaluminium hydride in hexane (DIBAH, Al(C 4 H 9) 2 H), a solution of ethylaluminium sesquichloride in hexane (EASC, Al 2 (C 2 H 5) 3 Cl 3) in-an equimolar amount to the neodymium, and a solution of neodymium in hexane (NdV, Nd(O 2 C 10 H 19) 3) were added, the mixed solution was heated to 73 °C for 60 minutes, subsequently, 1,6-hexamethylenediisocyante (component) was added with 100 ml of hexane through a burette while stirring, after another 30 minutes, component B was added together with the polyurethane catalyst dibutyltin laurate and 100 ml of hexane through a burette while stirring, after one hour reaction time, the polymer solution was stabilized with 2.6 g Irganox 1520 stabilizer dissolved in 100 ml of hexane, and then the polymer was precipitated out with 10 litres of ethanol and then dried at 60°C in a vacuum drying oven, quantities of the reaction materials are displayed below: Material Process 1 Process 2 Hexane [g] 8500 4350 1,3-butadiene [g] 1300 650 DIBAH 18.35% [ml] 23 12 EASC 20% [ml] 2.5 1.2 NdV 8.7% [ml] 2.8 1.4 Component [g] 2.3 1.2 Component 1,4-para-phenylenediamine Ethylenediamine Component [g] 3 0.5 Dibutyltin laurate[ml] 0.5 0