Liverpool star Sadio Mane revealed his parents told him his pursuit of a football career was a “waste of time”, right up until he signed his first contract. Mane, 26, has developed into one of the key parts of a dangerous Liverpool attack, alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
But the Senegal international said his parents never believed a career in football was a possibility, urging him to instead try to become a teacher.
“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.’
“They weren’t sure about it because I was a long way from the capital and almost nobody from there had succeeded. So they were against the idea, and they never believed it, right up until the day when I signed my first professional contract.”