Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s brilliant star who has fired the Reds to within two wins of the Premier League title, joined talkSPORT for a wide-ranging interview ahead of the release of a new documentary charting his life and career.
Sadio Mane – Made in Senegal is available on Rakuten TV from today, and the Anfield hero chatted to Adrian Durham and Darren Gough to discuss what life was like growing up as part of a football hating family, just what Jurgen Klopp is like, and his dream to win the Ballon d’Or.
Getty Images
Liverpool star Sadio Mane spoke to the Drivetime team for a brilliant interview
You can tune in to the interview, in full, by using talkSPORT’s listen again feature – or read and watch some of the best bits, below…
On his childhood in Senegal
“It is really, really tough for me to describe how difficult [it was]. I was brought up in a really small village and in a family where it was really complicated to play football, because they don’t just not like football – they HATE football!
“They really hate it because many people who played in that village every second of their life until the end of their career were not successful or got any jobs. So for my family it would be the same for them, and that’s why if I tried to play football they went mad, and they tried everything possible to make me feel bad and hate football.
“But for myself I committed that I wouldn’t be the same as the others and that I would be successful, and I was never, never, never in doubt that I can be successful at football.
“At the same time it was difficult because if you have no one to help you it’s complicated.”
On THAT comeback win over Barcelona
“You can believe, but you still have one thousand questions to ask yourself at the same time. Because if you think about the players you are going to face – Messi, Suarez and others – and you think you can play against them and score three or four goals it is really hard.
“The only things the coach said were we were playing at home and that he was proud of us, and that we can do it, so why not try?
“If things are to happen you have to make it happen.
“So we try, we try and we try again, and from the start of the game our fans were behind us, and we tried to push. And when we scored one goal I said to myself ‘now I think it’s possible’.
“It’s still unbelievable to describe, but at the end of the day we won it.”
Getty Images – Getty
On Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner
“Not only were the Barcelona players not ready – I wasn’t myself!
“He’s just an unbelievable player and very, very clever. I think he is one of the best in his position.”
Does it feel like Liverpool have won the title despite football being suspended?
“I think not yet. I love my job and I love football; I want to win on the pitch.
“I want to win the games and I want to get the trophy, it’s what I would love.
“But with this situation, whatever happens I will understand.
“It has been difficult for Liverpool, but it has been more difficult for many millions of people around the world.
“Some people have lost family members and that is the more complicated situation.
“But for myself, it’s my dream and I want to win it this year.
“If that’s not the case, I will accept, it’s part of life. Hopefully we will win it next year.”
Who should be named PFA Player of the Year?
“I would go for [Jordan] Henderson. He’s been a big part of our success this year, both defensively and in attack.
“He was really good this year. A really good leader and a great captain.”
Sadio Mane reveals he is backing Jordan Henderson to win Player of the Year
On Jurgen Klopp
“From day one since I came to Liverpool, he has always been positive with all the players.
“He gives responsibility to all his players, which can be a big, big part of the development of a football player. It is a big thing for a player to know you are given that responsibility by the coach, which he does to every player on the pitch.
“You are not under pressure. He is really positive, really nice but sometimes he is really hard as well. He is a hard person sometimes!
“But I’ve never seen any coach in my life as positive as he is.”
AFP or licensors
Mane has a close relationship with his manager at Liverpool, Klopp
Sadio Mane tells talkSPORT what it is like to play under Jurgen Klopp
On playing for Senegal and AFCON
“It has always been difficult since I started playing for my national team, because we have big pressure.
“At the same time we understand those people because Senegal has many great generations who passed without winning anything for the national team.
“Maybe they think when we play we give 100 per cent for club but not country, and that’s why you see people maybe not really happy with me. Someone is always a critic but it’s part of football.
“Last year we tried everything possible and we got to the final, but sadly we didn’t win it. But still I think people were only pleased with that and hopefully they’ll keep believing in us and supporting us for the next Africa Cup.”
On pressure of representing his country
“It is really, really hard personally because you can see my stats at club and national team are not the same.
“But at the same time I’m really proud because I’m very honest and sacrifice everything. When I go to the national team I try to work exactly the same; I take my physical trainer to the national team to make sure I am the same as I am with the club.
“At the same time, if you do wrong, people in Senegal come to attack your family and your people and it is hard; if you are bad or you do something wrong your family is in trouble.”
AFP or licensors
Mane has played 69 times for his country, scoring 16 goals
On his dreams
“I have a few dreams for sure. Like I always said I want to win the Premier League because that has always been my dream to win trophies.
“It has always been my dream since I was young; Champions League, Ballon d’Or, Premier League… so hopefully one day.”
Sadio Mane – Made in Senegal is available on Rakuten TV from today.
fbq('init', '752905198150451');
fbq('track', "PageView");
Source link
No comments:
Post a Comment