Senegalese star Sadio Mane, the striker for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, revealed secrets about his private life and football career, also talking about his relationship with some football stars, and with Egyptian Mohamed Salah, his teammate at Liverpool.
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 don't want to continue in it, and if I don't find support from you, I will run away and never come back again."
He added: “In my childhood, all I thought about was how to escape from my village. I decided to get a loan from a neighbor who loved football, and I told him that I wanted money to travel to the capital, Dakar. The journey took 8 hours, but all I thought about was playing football.”
Mane continued: "I was 16 years old, and I ran away at dawn to Dakar instead of going to school. When I arrived there, I stayed for two weeks without seeing my family... There was a great deal of chaos in our house because of this decision of mine.
He added: "That was the first time I had ever run away in my life. It was a huge shock and the risks were enormous. I had never been away from my village. Everyone kept looking for me, family and friends, until they found out that I had gone to Dakar."
Mani continued: "They found me and brought me back to my village again, and I went to my mother and told her that I would stay for one year for her sake, but then I would leave again, I would stay only to please her... and then the family talked, 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 stated: "He is a great player, a very good person, and our relationship is fine. Everything that has been said about there being a rivalry between us is normal, and not a bad thing. I did get angry with him once, and the cameras caught it."
He added: "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 he kicked the ball... and since that day our relationship has become stronger."
He added: "What happened is normal between strikers. When Mohamed Salah gets the ball, sometimes he doesn't 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 to become the top scorer."
Despite all that, Mane ignored his former teammate Mohamed Salah when he chose the top 5 players he played alongside during his football career, preferring Brazilian Coutinho and Firmino, who played with him at "The Reds", Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, the current Liverpool captain, his compatriot, Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo .
Mane said a lot about Ronaldo, his current teammate at Al-Nassr, most notably: "Ronaldo is an inspiration to generations, and a great example for every football player. I have never seen a player like him. Ronaldo's impact on the team is exceptional, and he is an example for all players, with his passion, dedication and high professionalism... He is a player who is not repeated."
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