The Senegalese striker shares difficult times behind the glory of winning the Champions League. 

“I prepared everything until the last minute even though I didn’t have a penny in my pocket. I hid in the reeds in front of the house, prepared my sports bag and necessary things the afternoon before. At 6 a.m. the next morning, I brushed my teeth and didn’t even shower before going,” the 27-year-old star told  France Football .

Mane lied to his parents and ran away from home to Dakar as a child with the dream of becoming a football player. His parents did not forbid him from playing football, but they did not support their son pursuing a career in football. However, Mane’s determination grew stronger. He was determined to go to the Senegal Academy to take the entrance exam.

“I left without telling anyone except my close friend. I walked for a long time, met a friend who lent me money so I could take the bus to Dakar. When my family searched, the friend was forced to tell everything “They called me and asked me to go home immediately, but I was embarrassed at the thought of returning. Finally, my family agreed to let me try my luck with football when the school year ended,” striker of Liverpool added. 

Mane in his early days going to Europe to play for Metz.

The boy, not yet 12 years old, with a disheveled appearance at that time, brought his dream to the annual young talent selection session of the local club in the suburbs of Dakar. Mane has proven his worth thanks to his talent with the ball. 

“There were 200 to 300 people waiting in line for their chance. Then things started going wrong. I was laughed at when I presented myself,” Mane recalls. “I didn’t look like a footballer, I was wearing pants that weren’t football pants. My shoes were torn on the sides and I sewed them up with the best lace I could.” 

The Liverpool striker also did not forget the conversation with the scout at that time. “The supervisors looked at me with a strange expression: Do you really want to become a football player? I understand what they mean but I have no choice because that’s the best I have,” Mane shared. 

Impressive performance in the Salzburg shirt brought Mane to the Premier League. 

Mane’s answer in June 2004 made difficult scouts accept him into the Senegal Academy’s U12 team. In nearly 2 years, Mane scored 131 goals in only 90 matches, becoming the Academy’s best young talent at that time. Mane’s journey doesn’t stop there.

In 2006, the French Football Federation and several football academies in Dakar cooperated to develop a special football project. Their goal is to find talents from poor backgrounds, and Mane is the Academy’s only choice. Mane was sent to Generation Foot, Dakar’s most modern and quality football center. He rose to the ranks of the brightest players and was brought to Metz after just one year at Generation Foot. At Metz Club, Mane entered the world of professional football.

Mane hit Man City’s net while playing for Southampton. Photo:  Reuters.

Mane moved to Red Bull Salzburg Club after a year at Metz. He scored 45 goals in 87 matches after three seasons playing at the Austrian club. Mane’s top form in Salzburg brought him to Southampton in the Premier League. The dream of playing professional football has come true more clearly than ever. After Southampton was Liverpool, Mane joined the “Red Brigade” with a $44 million contract in the summer of 2015, becoming the most expensive African player in history at that time.

Mane and Liverpool won tickets to the Champions League and finished second in the Europa League in his first season. Striker number 10 scored 26 goals in 49 matches for Liverpool last season. Mane is currently in Egypt to help Senegal conquer the first African championship.

Mane has gone on a very long and difficult journey, from a poor boy with torn shoes in Dakar to the top star of the Premier League. Winning the 2019 Champions League with Liverpool is the first glory, but promises not to be Mane’s last on that journey.