- Garth Crooks has heaped praise on this Liverpool forward
- Mohamed Salah has taken the plaudits this season but Sadio Mane has shone
- The Senegal international had another fine game against Newcastle
- MORE: Liverpool can buy back former superstar for just €40m, Reds want Anfield return for star
BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has heaped praise on Liverpool forward Sadio Mane for his contribution to the club’s season after another fine display in the weekend win over Newcastle.
The Senegal international scored a delightful goal against the Magpies in a 2-0 win, and Crooks believes he has contributed as much to the Reds’ strong campaign as star player Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool fans have unsurprisingly taken to Salah after his remarkable start at Anfield, with the Egypt international scoring 32 goals in 38 games since arriving in a relatively low-key transfer from Roma by the rest of the summer’s standards.
Still, Crooks believes Mane also deserves huge recognition after being in Salah’s shadow this season, and identified the 25-year-old as something of an unsung hero after he made a decisive impact once again in Liverpool’s latest Premier League victory.
‘The move that gave rise to Sadio Mane’s 14th goal of the season was pure craftwork,’ Crooks wrote in his BBC Sport column.
‘The actual finish by Mane was sheer class. The Senegal international has had to play second fiddle to Mohamed Salah for most of the season but that won’t bother the west African.
‘Mane has played as big a part as the Egyptian in Liverpool’s success.’
Mane now has 14 goals in 27 appearances for Liverpool this season, one more than he managed in the entirety of his first year at the club last season.
Liverpool will be delighted to see their attack on song once again ahead of big games against Porto in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Premier League this week.
