Sadio Mane’s journey to the top is a remarkable story as the Liverpool star has come through tough times and worked hard to get to where he is today.
The Reds ace made the trip to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, at the age of 16, as he tried to follow his ambition of becoming a footballer.
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Eventually, he got his first real chance after securing a move to Metz, with a photo of his first day with the French club coming to light and the man behind the camera that day has now revealed the wonderful story behind his meeting with a younger Mane.
“I noticed a funny guy in the team (Sadio) because he took a Japanese-style bow to anyone he met. He said that the scout of FC Metz just found him in some rural area in Senegal, and he really appreciated the chance,” the reporter said.
“He saw I got a camera, and he asked me to take a picture of him because he wanted to show his mother.
“I asked him for his email address. He shook his head. He only gave me the address of the club (Metz). At last, he asked ‘It’s free, right?’
Spells with Metz, RB Salzburg and Southampton followed before he eventually got a big move to Liverpool and he hasn’t looked back since.
One thing for sure is that he certainly doesn’t have to worry about the cost of photos being taken anymore, while he has shown over the years his willingness to give back to his home country as he has done plenty of work with helping the infrastructure and facilities in Senegal.
There’s plenty of reasons to love Mane for his ability on the pitch, and there are certainly plenty more for what he’s done off the pitch too having come from such humble beginnings…
"He saw I got a camera, and he asked me to take a picture of him because he wanted to show his mother. I asked him for his email address. He shook his head. He only gave me the address of the club (Metz). At last, he asked 'It's free, right?'" – a reporter on Sadio.?? pic.twitter.com/mHl3FZFuHj
— Kloppholic (@Kloppholic) August 19, 2019
