Sadio Mané
Mané's Mate
From Africa to France to Austria to England. The career paths that Sadio Mané and Naby Keita took to get to Liverpool FC are remarkably similar. Both players made different final stops before they reached destination Anfield – Sadio arrived via Southampton FC and Naby from RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V – but aside from that their routes to Merseyside were rather alike.
Mané was 19 when he moved from Senegal to France's Football Club de Metz, 20 when he joined FC Red Bull Salzburg, 22 when he signed for Southampton FC and 24 when he linked up with Jürgen Klopp's Reds. Keita was 18 when he moved from Guinea to France's FC Istres, 19 when he joined FC Red Bull Salzburg, 21 when he signed for RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V and 23 when he linked up with Jürgen Klopp's Reds.
You can see the parallels – give or take a year in age – and what's more the pair's career paths crossed directly in 2014 when Naby arrived in Salzburg a few months before Sadio moved to the Premier League to play for Southampton. They clicked straight away and Mané remembers it well.
“Naby was young when he joined us. I think at the time he was 19 and had just come to Europe. I think he had been in France for maybe one year before he same to Salzburg and it was a good experience for him. It was a new club, a new league, a new culture and a new language. He had myself and other people welcoming him and he adapted well – he did well for the club.
“We just got on naturally. I didn't know him when he came to us and Naby is someone who is very, very shy. He was very close to me all the time and he became a good friend. Sometimes he came to my house and sometimes I would go to his house. Also we speak the same language so everything came easier for us.
“Naby is a very good friend and a good lad. Everybody loves him here at Liverpool. I think he is doing well and he can do more. I know him. He is someone that is very, very strong. He likes to work hard and he is a very exciting player. He can do more for this club.”
Keita completed his move to Anfield during the summer and is still adapting to his new surroundings as he learns English, becomes familiar with the frenetic pace of Premier League football and settles into his new life off the pitch. Kopites have already reworked La Bamaba to sing his name – “Na Na Na Na Naby Keita, Na Na Na Na Naby Keita, Bobby Firmino, Salah and Mané (and Andy Robbo!), Na-by Keita, Na-by Keita...” – and Mané believes a left-hand side featuring himself, Naby and Andy Robertson is good news for LFC, even if there is the odd communication issue!
“Of course Naby plays on my side of the pitch. This is great for ourselves and great for the team as well. We also have Andy on our side. Andy is a good lad, a hard worker and he can be an unbelievable player. As a player he is great and as a person as well although sometimes we are struggling to understand him because of his accent! But we will keep trying and it is all good!”
