Sadio Mane: Klopp hails Senegal striker's progress at Liverpool

8 July 2020

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised Senegal's Sadio Mane for 'performing at an unbelievable level'.

Klopp admits that some people questioned why Liverpool spent more than $45 million (£34m) in 2016 to buy Mane from Southampton.

But the German boss insists he had no such worries about the then 25-year-old.

"Maybe people thought 'I am not sure he is worth it', but we were 100 per cent sure about him," Klopp said.

"Consistency was the key and absolutely now what he is doing and how he performs is consistent.

"The level he performs at is unbelievable. He helps us massively. He is a complete player, offensively and defensively he works hard, he is really quick.

"I could pretty much write the same book about all the other players but Sadio has made real steps but that is normal.

"He came as a young boy and he grew up, matured here.

"That is normal in the time of his career when it was clear it would happen and we were lucky enough to be around while that happened.

"Becoming a very good player to a world-class player, no doubt about that, and he is a winner on top of that. It's great to have him here."

As well as helping Liverpool win the European Champions League, the European Super Cup, the Club World Cup and the English Premier league title Mane has picked up several individual titles.

The 28-year-old won the Premier League Golden boot for he 2018-2019 season alongside team-mate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He then went on to be crowned the 2019 African Footballer of the Year following his feats with Liverpool and helping Senegal reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

This season he has scored 16 goals and set-up seven more as Liverpool won the Premier League title with seven matches to spare.