Mane talks about his “famous crisis” with Mohamed Salah… the story of his escape from home and other secrets

During his conversation on the “podcast” with Englishman Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United legend, Mane told the story of escaping from his village in Senegal, in order to play professional football.

The Senegalese striker said: “I was young, and I went back to my mother one day and told her: School is not for me, and I do not want to continue it, and if I do not find support from you, I will run away and never return again.”

He added: “In my childhood, all I was thinking about was how to escape from my village, and I decided to get a loan from a neighbor of mine who loved football, and I told him that I wanted money to travel to the capital, Dakar. The trip took 8 hours, but I could only think about playing football.”

Mane continued: “I was 16 years old, and I fled at dawn to Dakar instead of going to school. When I got there, I did not see my family for two weeks. There was a huge chaos in our house because of my decision.”

He added: “It was the first time I ran away in my life. It was a huge shock and the risks were huge. I never moved far from my village. Everyone kept looking for me, whether family or friends, until they learned that I had gone to Dakar.”

Mani continued: “They reached me and returned me to my village again. I went to my mother and told her that I would stay for one year for you, but after that I would leave again. I would stay only to please you. Then the family spoke, and we all sat at the table, and from here my real journey began.”

His relationship with Mohamed Salah

Regarding his relationship with his former Liverpool teammate, Mohamed Salah, the Senegalese international said: “He is a great player, and a very good person, and our relationship is fine… Everything that was said about there being competition between us is normal, and it is not a bad thing… I actually got angry with him once, and the cameras captured that.”

He continued: “Salah refused to pass the ball to me in the Burnley match, but he came the next day and apologized to me, and confirmed that he did not see me when I shot the ball… and since that day our relationship has become stronger.”

He added: “What happened is normal among strikers. When Mohamed Salah gets the ball, sometimes he does not see anyone but the goal. So I told him I can help you more, because there is no problem for me. I will help you more so that you become the top scorer.”

Despite all of this, Mane ignored his former colleague, Mohamed Salah, when he chose the five best players he teamed with during his football career, preferring him the Brazilian Coutinho and Firmino, who he teamed with at the Reds, the Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, the current Liverpool captain, his fellow Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mane said many things about Ronaldo, his current colleague at Al-Nasr Club, most notably: “Ronaldo is an inspiration for generations, and a wonderful example for every football player. I have never seen a player like him. Ronaldo’s influence on the team is exceptional, and he is an example for all players, with his passion, dedication, and high professionalism. He is a player that cannot be repeated.”

Klopp’s call changed my decision about moving to Liverpool

Sadio Mane also spoke about the reason for joining Liverpool, and his preference to play for the Reds over rival Manchester United, saying: “I was a strong candidate to move to the ranks of Manchester United, but coach Louis van Gaal’s project did not convince me, and because the team was full of stars… when they failed to obtain my services, they brought Anthony Martial.”

He pointed out the presence of the trio of Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria, and Memphis Depay in the Red Devils’ attacking line at that time.

He continued: “Van Gaal called me and said: Mane, how are you? What are you doing? I want you to come to Manchester United. I said to him: Really? And he answered me yes. So I said to him: Well, I will now speak to my agent. Van Gaal told me that I was a good player and capable of helping the team. He also pledged to help me be a better player.”

He continued: “My question was: You have Depay, Rooney, Di Maria and Van Persie… So where will I play? And this is because I wanted to play… Van Gaal responded to me by saying: I know you have talent, you are good… If you train well and leave a good impression, you will play… But we have other good players as well.”

Mane explained that the Dutch coach’s answer did not convince him, adding: “I was still at Southampton at the time, and I was not consistent in my level… That’s why I said: OK, we’ll see.”

He added: “I also visited Tottenham, and spoke with coach Mauricio Pochettino, and I was more convinced of their project, and I even agreed to join them…but three days later I received a call from coach Jurgen Klopp.”

He added: “Klopp spoke to me and asked me to join Liverpool, and he assured me that I would play in the team’s starting lineup, so I agreed immediately… and from the first call I said: This is my team… Even though the Reds were not participating in the Champions League at the time, Klopp’s call immediately changed my decision.”

Source: media

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