MY ACCOUNT
Sadio Mane says he “will never forget” his time with Liverpool having made a move to Bayern Munich in the recent transfer window.
Mane joined the Reds from Southampton in 2016 and spent six successful years at the club, winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.
And while the 30-year-old now plies his trade in the Bundesliga, he says he will always have fond memories of playing for Liverpool.
“Honestly, I will never forget my time there,” Mane told UEFA.com.
“I learned a lot – as a man and as a football player. The supporters were amazing, the people from the city were amazing. It is a club that will stay in my heart forever.
“It is also a legendary club – they have won everything. And also, it is the club that had all the best Champions League nights.”
Mane cited the 2019 Champions League final win against Tottenham in Madrid as a particular highlight, adding: “I remember the second goal that Divock Origi scored very well. I was over the moon at that moment. I couldn’t believe it.
“I just thought back to my childhood, when I was watching the Champions League. I found myself playing a final and, more importantly, winning it.
“It was amazing – 2019 was an outstanding year. The celebrations, the club, you just had to be there to understand. I think over half a million people were out in the streets waiting for us to parade our trophy. It was just beautiful.”
The Senegal international has endured a mixed start to his Bayern career, scoring three in three league games to start the season but then going on a run of five appearances without a goal in all competitions before finally finding the net again in Friday’s 4-0 thumping of Bayer Leverkusen.
And he admitted his move to Germany had not all been plain sailing so far, saying: “Switching from one club to another is not easy.
“I spent eight very nice years in England, six years at Liverpool [after] two at Southampton, and now I am in a new country. It is not easy because everything changes so suddenly, people, training, everything.
“Everything is changing so it is not easy at all. I need to adapt. I knew that and it came as no surprise. It is happening just the way I imagined it.
“People here are welcoming, and they’re real players. People around the club are amazing so I am very happy.
“We have a very, very young squad. It’s the first time in my career that I have been part of such a young group. What really stands out to me is that they’re all hungry. They all want to develop and they’re attentive too.
“Training sessions are as intense as the games. It’s important as I think it makes a real difference and it shows. It’s so easy to play alongside these youngsters, who are massively talented and promising.”
