Rio Ferdinand was amazed by the speed at which Sadio Mane was closing down Tottenham Hotspur players for Liverpool on Saturday.
Speaking on his Vibe With Five podcast, Ferdinand – who was at the game for BT Sport – claimed that Mane was running at the same pace with and without the ball.
“I watched Sadio Mane at the weekend, the way he was closing down the goalkeeper and the centre-halves,” said the 43-year-old. “The pace he runs at them without the ball, it’s the same pace he runs with the ball.
“That’s very hard to get out of players week-in-week out.”
Focus on Mane
Mane appears to be the man in the spotlight for Liverpool so far this week. His future has been the subject of much discussion, while his performances on the pitch continue to inspire his club.
Saturday wasn’t actually his best performance of recent times. The number 10 was a little isolated up-front and failed to really click with his fellow attackers.
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What you’ll always get from Mane is incredible work-rate though. Even last season when things weren’t going his way, Mane continued to put in shift after shift for his team.
His unbelievable athleticism can be demonstrated through the sheer amount of games he has played this season. The match against Spurs was his 61st of ludicrously busy campaign for club and country.
Some of the discourse around not signing the Senegal international to an extension for Liverpool has been because of his age.
Last season it had looked like the years of relentless football under Jurgen Klopp may have finally caught up with him. But despite entering his thirties last month, he still looks fresh even after playing so much football. In fact, as the games have gone on, the better he has got this season.
It’s decision time for Liverpool and Mane over his future. If The Reds do decide to let him leave the club, it’s clear that they’d still be losing a supreme footballer.