The Player Behind the Name: Sadio Mané, Part Two

In Part One of this two part segment we looked at everything Sadio Mané had done as a player for club and country right up until he signed for Liverpool. In Part Two, we take a closer look at Mané, the man, in his own words.

On his speed and playing football as a kid

This is natural for me. It’s not something I needed to work at. It is something God gave me. When I was in school we would always have running races. I was good at it. Always sprinting. I can run long distance too. I always loved running, from when I was young. I never took a bag, I’d just carry my boots and run. There was never a bike. I’d get to the pitch and make six or seven laps and then get straight into it. I would go and meet my team and we would usually win. I was always the striker. I always wanted to win and score goals and help my team, if it came from the left, right or through the middle, it didn’t matter. I just wanted to win. It is the same now.

On his workout regimen

“I work in the gym, twice a week I do abdominals. It is very, very important. I do quick sessions as I don’t want to get big. I know my body, I know what is good for me. I have a chef who cooks for me, I like to eat healthy. I don’t drink, I’ve never tried it in my life. I’ve never smoked either.”

On his football hero

As a young Senegalese who watched his country knockout defending champions, France in the 2002 World Cup, El Hadji Diouf became Mané’s hero and remains a national hero in Senegal to this day, despite his villain status at Anfield.

He was the first player I loved to watch and I remember the game against France when we won, leaving school to watch in my friend’s house. El Hadji is a hero at home, I still see him when I go back. Here (Liverpool)? Maybe not so much!

On Jürgen Klopp

“Klopp is a very good coach. He loves his players, helps them. He betters them all the time. His work is admirable. This make me happy. He has all the qualities of a great coach. He’s a motivator and I enjoy his training sessions. He always wants the maximum.”

On his aspirations

When he was asked in an interview with the Daily Mail in August, how good he thought he could become, he responded;

There is more. Much more. You can’t say when you are 25 years old that you know everything. You don’t. I can still learn. I know how far I want to go. So let’s see what we can achieve. The main aim is to win trophies with this team.

Oh Mané, Mané, here’s to many more seasons at Liverpool and an abundance of trophies to come.

Up the Reds!