Sadio Mane has revealed that it was Liverpool flop El-Hadj Diouf, as well as Ronaldinho, that inspired him to pursue football as a career.
The 26-year-old Senegalese opened up about his idols to Bleacher Report, as well as revealing that his mother tried to dissuade him from being a footballer.
“When I was young, I had lots of favourite footballers, but Ronaldinho was my real favourite, along with El-Hadji Diouf from Senegal,” said Mane.
“They really inspired me. Those two players were examples for me as a footballer. They were skilful players and good dribblers who beat their opponents easily.”
Diouf is an improbable idol for many reasons. He is the only Liverpool No 9 in history to go an entire season without scoring, and in fact scored only 6 goals in 80 appearances during his time at the club.
Diouf is better known for his actions off the pitch. He was charged by the FA and the police on multiple occasions with spitting, both at opponents and fans. However, Mane was obviously able to see past these indiscretions.
Mane also spoke about his parents influence, saying: “I remember that when I was little, my parents felt that I should study to become a teacher. They thought football was a waste of time and I’d never succeed at it. I always said: “This is the only job that will enable me to help you. And I think I have a chance to become a footballer”.
“I’m not a party animal or someone who travels a lot. When I’m not playing football, I prefer to recover and spend time with my friends and my family. During the holidays, I always go back to my village to spend time with my family and my childhood friends.”