Sadio Mane: How Salah Made Me Angry - and Why I Turned Down Man Utd

0:00Sometimes life will get you stressed out. Lucky you can always count on TextNow. Free talk, free text, free 5G. And they'll never shut you off. Cause like I said, it's free. TextNow's got your back. Nationwide, no long-term contracts. But are they nervous by losing service? TextNow's got your back. That's theirs. That's a purpose. No matter what comes next, you've got free talk and text with the TextNow app. Download it today. Wireless plans require the purchase of a SIM card. Visit textnow.com for terms and conditions. Sadio Mane was an integral part of an incredible front three at Liverpool.

0:37I never see a football player and humankind in my life as Bobby. Never. He's the only player in my life I have shirt put in my house. So when I say Mo Salah. Great player. Mane's also got a wicked sense of humour. It's you and Brandyke. You know it. I know it. So this is no discussion. Okay? In this episode, I'll show you a side of Mane that you've never seen before. You could have come to United. Bangal called me. A few days after, Klopp called me and he said, we will build the team no one wants to play against. You play every game. Oh, that's the killer line, that one. So sit back and enjoy this episode with one of the game's most lethal wingers.

1:26Take me back to Senegal when Sadia Armani was a kid. What was it like for you starting football, dreaming about a career and eventually making your way out of Senegal? My dream was to become a football player. This is something which has always been in my mind. I don't know if I didn't become a footballer. I don't know what I'm going to do. because I just love football and my family hate it. They don't like football? My mum hates football, so I grew up with my mum. My mum, for her, playing football, you waste your time because no way you can success in this village because usually they had football players in the village.

2:11They were doing it, but none of that success and they were like wasting their time for nothing, get old without a job. Yeah, there was no example for you, wasn't there? No example, nothing. And me, they wanted me to go to school. And I didn't like school. Me, every morning, I woke up, I go to football play. I go to play on the street like all the young kids. When I come back home, I have issues with my family. Sometimes they beat me. And it was sometimes aggressive with me, because they wanted me to be on the right path. Being footballing, playing football, this there is not not not out so getting growing up what i'm do i try to escape from my village so i read about this in the research you run away and run to the capital yeah i had someone in the villages next to our house he also was like someone who liked football but i said to him listen just gave me the money I'm gonna pay the car to drive eight hours or ten hours is how it is how old was you then that was I was 16 Wow and I was 16 and I was in school and I six in the morning five from the morning and I escaped I go to I go to Dakar when I arrived there one week my family didn't see me there was they make big drama in the house is it unusual for a young person to go against the family like this it's unusual at all and it was the first ever time as i escaped i've i left my village wow so all my life i was in this village i never even go to like 80 kilometers 18 kilometers more away from my village so in this case it was how can you imagine it was big Because family was, and my best friend, and by saying, telling them that I escaped to go to Dakar.

4:17Oh, that was, they find me and they call me, try to everywhere, and they took me back to the village again. Did they take you back? Yeah, they took me back to the village. So what happened then? How did you get out then? Because you ended up going to France. I go to my family, I say, my mom, listen, school, not for me. but I will make this pleasure to study one more year. If you don't support me, then I will go again. That was clear. If I go again, I go with my own. And I think they talk to each other. My uncle, my mom, they say now after one, we have to do what we have to think. What I'm going to do with this boy?

4:55Because now he take his decision, he will do whatever he wants. and after one year we sit on the table my family and then it's how everything started it's crazy because like hundreds of millions of people watch you around the world and don't know this story and don't appreciate the fight to get to where you are now so when i'm doing punditry and the media are looking at you yeah we don't consider this journey yeah and it's such a such a big part of who you are is this a big part of what made you resilient the character the personality yeah i think sometimes sometimes people don't see in story behind yeah and it demand a lot sacrifice at some point character as you said to make it because if you don't do this kind sacrifice sometimes you maybe fail but yeah like i said that was instinct for me like i saw something coming but i don't know what is these things so i think it's like something in me pushing me do go go go for it go it for it and i never give up until the day my family decided to help me to say okay we don't have no choice because the case was that we have no choice with this guy so we just tried to push him.

6:22They took me from there. I go to academy six months and I go to France. Wow. Six months, I signed my first contract. That was quick. It was very quick. So what was the toughest part about going to France? Leaving Africa and going to Europe. What was the toughest part for you? When I got there, it was really, really, really cold for me. And then I remember the first day when I came, around 2011. I go to France the 5th January 2011. I arrived in France around winter. Winter. And when I arrived, I heard it was cold, cold, cold. But the day when I arrived was around 1 p.m. It was really, really cold.

7:12They was wearing, you know, glasses. Everybody. When I go there, wow. It was really, really cold. And then five minutes, I could not hold my hand, everything. I could not feel my hand. And I was like this, like, and I was not that was still OK. And they tell me in the coach, tell me, no, no, no, it's too much. It's too much to go to the dressing room. And I make the warm water and I put my hand all this day. I was real. This is the story I never said before. and then I think all until the until 2 3 am I could not sleep I was feeling pain yeah I hope it was really good and I make the water warm and I put all my hand there and then I was that I was that you learned a lesson straight away this was something which I never forgot until now but it was serious for me and And it was after two months, I get injury, which is took me away six months.

8:14So from January until summer, I didn't play any game. How did you deal with that? It was in a new country. New country, new language, new culture, cold and injury. And then it kept my way like six months. and it was very very difficult time in this moment. I want to read a quote to you from Sambi but I'd like to see if you can tell me who said this quote. He was a well brought up boy, endearing but you didn't stand in his way because he didn't have the time for that. You could tell that he wasn't there just to mess about. His strength of character is very pronounced and that too is a strength of his.

9:00wherever Sadio is, he always asserts himself. Who said that? It's a Liverpool player? No. No? Wow. It's Pierre Bouby or... Yes. It's Pierre Bouby. Pierre Bouby. Two guesses. Wow. Yes, Pierre Bouby. Is that explaining you perfectly? Yeah. Pierre Bouby, I think... So who is he? Tell us who he is. He was like kind of a leader, you know, the second captain in our Dreserum MS because I was there training, training. One day I said to, because I want to play, I said to coach, I don't want to stay here. I want to go to learn in the low, low, low division, just to have game time because I want to play.

9:43I don't want to be on the bench, not playing in the second team until I was waiting. They said, no, no, you have to stay maybe in January until from August to January. the player goes to African Cup because we have too many African players in Mets. They go to to African Cup and so this first team player not coming down. So in this moment I play four games on the roll with the second team and the coach of first team called me straight to the first team. So when I go to the first team I never get out and they come back from Africa Cup and I was still I take you stayed in the team and take and I take the place so that was time where Pierre is there and he's someone who always advising me and tell me don't dribble too much I remember but he was someone who liked me a lot he likes me a lot and he was advising me all the time and I think I was giving him tough time That's why I said it.

10:51Have you always been a competitor? Because obviously to get in that team, when African players have gone to the African Nations Cup, you know they're coming back. So have you always had that competitive energy? And is it more important about the team and how you integrate in the team than even just winning a game? Yeah, I think it was kind of strange because imagine I was not playing in the second team. And I came first team and I know the competition was high. and actually the place I took was the best place, the best player in the team. The position you played? Yeah, you know, was the top scorer and the best player.

11:31So for me, wow, it's a big challenge because I'm a winger. So what can I do to stay? Because if you come, I say, maybe I will not play because it's the best player. and that was sometime I said no I have to do more than this so what I do in the morning at six I don't know and see escape I was running to go run to be more physical I was running in the academy on your own my own no one see I run sometime when I come back the players waking up to go breakfast at eight because it's open so that's that that's that's like that self-discipline yeah consistency see that focus to be a professional and get the best out of yourself.

12:13Where did that come from? Is that natural? Is that from your hometown in Senegal or what? Hometown in Senegal because as I said, I was doing this because I want to become a football player so I always heard you have to do more than the others if you want to be the best. Salzburg, you go to Salzburg. How important is Ralph Reignac because tactically he came across to me as very, very, very good and very good at implementing structure and system, etc. and tactical approach for a player. How important was he for you, especially with your physical attributes that you have? Getting the tactical side of that must have been really important.

12:50Yeah, I think, like you said, it's a really, really important question because usually it's not... is we had now or day it is changing because African football is getting better and better. But we had these issues in tactically problems because what we're doing in Mets is the same things they're doing in Senegal. So when you left, you leave Senegal, you go straight to first team, which is really good now. In my case, my time was not the case. So when I came to France, I had this problem. Still, I go because I don't stay longer in France. I go to Salzburg and I had this problem. So when Ralph came to France, he took me from there to Salzburg.

13:42This was the main things I've been learning. Sometimes we have a coach, which his name is Roger Schmidt. I have talent. He said, you have talent, you have power, you're quick, but tactically I struggle a lot. I struggle a lot. So what can we do? Ralph, after the game, Ralph talked to him, I'm sure. We always talk to him. What can we do? Because he has something special. So we have to make sure he knows what we need or what the team needs. Because he can help more the team. And that was really important for me also for my career because I had this problem. Like I said, tactically I was... You was playing freedom.

14:35Freedom. Like on the streets. Freedom on the street. Like, so I think my step in Salzburg is, I think was one of the more important steps I can say in all my career. because from there I came to Liverpool because when I used to play Salzburg and one year after I improved a lot tactically and the tactical physical and strong and play no problem because they they just they helped me to deliver everything but actually was my main main problem and the time club was in dortmund and he the second season in south he wanted me because the way salzburg play and the way they defend the press was unbelievable at the time and exactly dortmund was playing in the same style so i press press press pressing pressing pressing and in the same time i meet club he wanted by me to brought me in that moon but it didn't work out So when he was in Liverpool and I was also making my way, I go to Southampton and that was okay.

15:52We knew it again. He called me, he said, listen, it didn't work out. It was my fault. So what do you think? We work again? And the time, sorry, your team, the wrong team, Manchester United called me that time at the same time. I was talking to Bangal. Yeah, Bangal. No way. Yeah, Bangal. You could have come to United? Yeah, I was talking to Bangal that time, but Rooney was there. And Di Maria was there. And… And… Latam was there or not? No, no. It was… Martial? Dapé was there. when they fall to board me they buy a matcha because he called me vangal called me he said money how are you what you doing how is i'm good and i want you to come to manchester united i said really he said yeah i said okay now I'm talking to agent, we'll see what is the best because I know you good player and you can help the team and we can help you also to become better players.

17:09And then I said, okay, so my question, you have the pay, you have Rooney, you have Di Maria, you have Van Persie, I think the same. So What I'm going to play? That was my question because me, I want to play. He said, I know your talent, you're good, but if you do good training, good impression, you will play. But we have another player which is also good. So I was not convinced about his explanation. is uh and few days ago few days after club called me so i was waiting with my agent and my my family manager so i talked to the coach but he told me that i will play if i'm good if not but the time me i was not ready i can say i was young i still need someone to help me more and one or two more years to become what I want to be because I was still in Southampton.

18:22I was not consistent. And then we said, okay, we'll see because maybe Tottenham, I have meeting with Tottenham. In the same time, Pochettino called him. He said, I want to help Sergio to come in Tottenham training ground. And then I go to Tottenham training ground one week after. And I was, I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him, and I was more convinced than the Man United project. Because Man United was too many, the problem was too many big players. So for me, he's killing me, man. And then I go to meet Pochettino, I say, okay, so make sure you agree with my agent, everything, I will come.

19:10And I come back home three days ago, three days after, Klopp called me. I said, this is my club. This is the right. And this is what I want to. I say, I give you my words. Make sure I have some club want to me, but no. I'm coming there. Wow. At the time, Liverpool was even not Champions League. And Tottenham was playing in Champions League. But is this because of Klopp? Or not because of Liverpool? It was just because of Klopp, the way he was going to coach you? Klopp called me. First of all, I said, coach. He said, how are you? It was my fault. He didn't come to Dortmund because he knew I wanted to come there.

19:53I met him first. I was not happy. And he apologized first. And he said, we will build the team no one wants to play against. And then if we'll grow up together and then you play every game. oh that's the that's the killer line that one so when he said this that time i want to this kind of this kind of um project i wanted because he said we will make strong team and i will play every game i said okay so my question but you have continue is playing you play left and Firmino was there Danny also was the new storage was also as I say he say no you will play every game I don't even I say okay make sure I don't want to know anything I just want to come the salary everything I don't care I just want to come just make sure agreement with um Southampton I will come and the rest I say I just go to go you do your job was there anything tactically that he said in that meeting that you made that made you think oh this is perfect for me like about pressing maybe that you know that style that we spoke when i was south spoke when i was red bull south spoke i go to his i go to him meet him in dortmund we spoke we have meeting we spoke only tactical i see you play the way you guys play four for two you do spreading together everything he's playing me everything so I knew that he know me already so he was looking for this kind of player who can able to run back and sacrifice everything is what he told me I said yeah and then when he called me we didn't spoke about Taki anything the second time he just say I want you in Liverpool I said okay I'm coming to Liverpool

22:02So you arrive at Liverpool, yeah? And you become part of a front three that kind of redefines attacking football. What was it like to be a part of that? I interviewed Rooney a little while ago and Berbatov, and they were part of a great front line. And you could see in their face the joy. When I mention Firmino, Salah, Mane, what does that mean to you? It means a lot. We have too many differences. Personality, character, everything. and I think this mix makes us success. This one drop, this one go, this one shooting, this one. I think all of this combination make us strong, make us the player we are today.

22:53And yeah, we had a great coach like Klopp who is which as he give every single player responsibility on the pitch and he was really really here for us in the pitch out of the pitch even your social life you want to invoke I remember he been for me within everything and this this is the things which motivates you every single day and give you something which is if in you can go fight with him and you can sacrifice it can you can even give your life and all the players can see we enjoy playing together because i i don't know you can we can close i and play know what we do on the pitch every single player know what exactly you the The coach is demanding what you do.

23:52So I think that was just amazing. And I think also it's a special club. Liverpool for me is a special club. Why? I see your face light up when you say Liverpool. Yeah, many things. Liverpool is my heart for sure. I don't know how to explain, but for me it's just a special club. Just a special club. You were talking about the manager and him being able to kind of, you'll run through brick walls for him, you'll die for him. What type of things is he doing around the training ground that make you end up feeling like that? Usually, in the training ground, especially when we're training, we are not too much friends with him because he's demanding a lot and he's shouting a lot, and sometimes He go, you can just go and go.

24:49Did you fall out of him? You must have fell out of him. I fell out with Ferguson many times. Yeah, I mean, I think one game against Liverpool, Liverpool, Manchester United also, I want to shake. I say, no, no, I don't want to shake your hand. I go away. Why, why, why? Because we've been training. It was training. I was supposed to start the game. And I lose football and he changed me. And when he changed me, I say, oh, no, I will not accept this. This is why you changed me. and he yeah it was he changed me and the next day i didn't start the game so after the game no problem we win 4-0 but why you want to shake hand again so that was my my gut and the next day he sent me message can we become friendly again come to my efforts and i go to his office and we talk we sort it out and it's finished and his was kind of you can it can happen with with with him But the next day he will try to find everything to settle.

25:47That's important. And I think this was his, this was Klopp's strength. Going back to the front three. I know you're very humble, right? But I need to go back to the front three because you guys done some crazy stuff, some amazing stuff. You won everything. When I say Bobby Firmino, what does that mean to you? Oh. Exceptional. Exceptional. If I said exceptional, it's just exceptional. Because for me, I've been, since I grew up, I never see a football player and humankind in my life as Bobby. Never. I never see any teammate like Novi in my life. This is, is, and is the only player in my life I have showed, put in my house.

26:37No way. And Bobby Firmino for me, it's not even, Because what he's able to do, I can, even myself. And I never see any player doing it, because it's special. Like what, like passing or movement? Even football, he can, he doesn't, sometimes he doesn't care for nothing. I think it's also people different, it's natural like this. Because sometimes Salah can score. Score, score, miss, score, score, he doesn't score, change him he doesn't care me you do this i will be hungry that's for sure salah you do you will be angry and this sometime we players we are like this sometime over wanted you know but bobby for me sometimes i just look at him alive i don't i see what kind of person is is and he never take anything of course i never see him agree with some anybody or hang i never saw him angry for you he's like more than a footballer it's more for me it's obviously it's more than football everything no it's for life it's not no it's always like this so i never that's why in you know they in football how you knows me know everybody not easy yeah but bobby for me is more than football player.

28:04So when I say Mo Salah... Good player. Good player. Good player. He's a... So when I look at you two, I look at... I'm not saying levels, I'm just saying... I played in the team with Rooney and Ronaldo. There was a rivalry in the team. Yeah. Me and Nemanja Vidic, rivalry. We still want to win. Yeah. But there's a rivalry. Yeah. I felt with you and Mo Salah everybody say the same you know usually but it's not I don't think it's a bad thing yeah that's what I'm saying me I'm somebody usually I'm someone who is quiet but I have I'm friends with everybody in the team I'm like this so I think Mo is also a very nice guy he's a nice guy I think though So inside the pitch, you can see sometimes he passed me, sometimes he doesn't pass, sometimes he passed, sometimes he doesn't pass.

29:05Only Bobby was there to share the balls. Sometimes it's like this. And I still remember one game when I was really, really angry because it doesn't pass me for me. It should pass me. Burnley, was it Burnley? Yeah, Burnley. You know, before this, I watched that game and I watched your face. It was amazing. That's why I was really, really angry after the game. And the next day he came to me. He came to me. He wants to talk to me, but he doesn't know how to say. He still think I'm angry against him, because we didn't see him after we go. And then he came to me. Saju, can we talk? I said, OK, no problem.

29:42We go. And he go. He said, you think I didn't want to play pass to you? I didn't score. You scored, Bobby scored. But I even don't, when I get the ball, I know I was not thinking or even see you to pass. I just get the ball I want to shoot is but I have nothing against you. And honestly, if I could pass you and I saw you, I will do. And this, you know, I was as a mom, don't worry. It passes, I was angry because I saw I think you could pass me more with your quality. I think you know, and then we I think since this day we come we come even closer. and sometimes it happened but we just had a striker because more usually when you see the goal you don't see nobody you don't see nobody so for me I don't he didn't he didn't he didn't do it personally he just want to score score score and then I was talking I tell more I can see you want to you like you want to be more I can help you a lot because I know you want to be top scorer you want i can me i'm here i can help you because i don't have this problem me i'll help you more you don't care about being top goal scorer i want to but if you could be more no problem i will pass you because i see he is more closer top score he was more top scorer than me usually it's through the penalty and usually me i'm dropping more back to defend so he's more up because we we need this to mix more in the top, Bobby dropping, me more defending back.

31:20Because if more stay in the top, not defending me, not defending, I think we will not be maybe today. Because Henderson was one when you see this player in training in game. Henderson, even if he's dying, he ran. So for me seeing this player doing this, even I'm I don't want to stay up I just want to come down to defend this was I can't see those played so sometimes I could say when you play against Burnley or something Lord table table play team okay today I will score but if I stay up see those different the running or I feel something I have to go back to different Wow so we need this mix more staying more up Bobby me going back because I can go back, go back.

32:13So I was ready physically for it. So I think this makes us those front three very maybe special. Yeah. Nice. When I think about connections on the pitch, you're talking about going up and down. Your left side, you and Robertson. What's that relationship like? And also Trent and Mo Salah. And Mo. What are those relationships like? How important are Yeah, I think this was amazing. People usually talk about me, Bobby, but if you see Robotson, you see the overlapping and this desire to win every single ball. It's just amazing. And you have Henderson, you have Fabinho also, which is kicking everybody in the pitch without taking any cut.

33:09Wow. It's just amazing. Friends with his passes. Because friends and more know each other also. It's not overlapping all the time like me and Robbo. But him was more passing. And everything more moving, he knows. So they know each other very well. and me and Robo was, I think it was, Robo is for me was my best partnership in all my career because we know each other and... Did you work on that or was it just natural? I think it's just natural. Since he came and I think it just become natural. I help him, he helped me. When I have the ball, if we play against one winger which is really tough for him, in the next day training, hey help him I help you is what he said I said don't worry me I will be here I will be here for you don't worry we will catch him we'll put him in the pocket so anytime teamwork I tell him take the white take the me I will take inside that was if the winger is tough Robo take even I'm also tired I know that's something we said it helped me help you so me go I run I'm always late because I winger so I I come, take the inside, he take the outside, so it was easier.

34:27When we were down there, we had Gini also, which was really... Yeah, running a lot for you guys. When I came in, Gini came there and I go inside, take Gini plays. So it was something which we train with Klopp because we do this every single day. So it was kind of natural and you can even close yourself and play Klopp team. Tell me about Trent, because he's a player who kind of gets a lot of plaudits, a lot of positive press as well, but also equally probably some negative as well for different parts of his game. What does Trent mean to you? What do you think about when you hear his name? I still think when I was in Liverpool, the first time I came, he was kids.

35:06He was kids, honestly, because I remember the first pre-season we did was with Ben Woodburn. I used to say, hey, you guys work hard, you will become big, big players. I used to say to them. And when I left he became a man so I think Trent for me as a coach for me he's I will even he will be my main player because he have a specialty and is some things somebody who need to be loved I can see like probably give he was somebody he's someone who needs this on his back. When he does this, you will take a lot from him. And also, he's a football player for me. It's just amazing. He will give you more than you, especially offensive.

36:08After defensively, everybody I see, everybody was talking, oh, Trent doesn't want to defend. This is something I think even Claude was saying, oh, you have to, you know, if somebody come about the language club, we're shouting, club, and Milner and Henderson were shouting. And then I think that was really, really important for him as a young. And then you can see he's doing his best. And when he's really, really there shouting about him, those players there, it helps a lot. So he was one of those who responded to being shouted at. Inshouting that and to wake him really up, that was the moment.

36:50You can see really, really this guy. He could offer a lot, lot, lot. And that talent, I think is an undoubted talent, especially with the ball. I've got a lot of Liverpool fans who are friends. And when I said I'm meeting you and I'm going to interview you because I've been waiting a long time. The first question one of my best friends said, why did he leave Liverpool? I think I've been in Liverpool six, almost seven years. I can six years. So, you know, I come from far and all my life has been challenged.

37:28And of course, when I came from Liverpool, Liverpool was, even not Champions League, was really, you know how it is. And I came with all other players, coaches, staff, we make this team big. We won almost everything. Liverpool was like home. It was my comfort zone. Let's try to try something. Because I have almost won everything here. So my challenge is not because, of course, some things can happen or blah, blah. But for me, that was not really important. The matter for me, to go somewhere, OK, to see, to live in my comfort zone and to do something else in other parts. So that was my reason why I said, OK, let's try, why not?

38:15It was maybe we think about fifth club in the Premier League, but I said, I'm in Bayern, I said Liverpool, so maybe we go out. And then Bayern was there, was really, really pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. I said, OK, let's try there. What did you learn there when you were there in Bayern? Because you were there for one season. Yeah, one season. You know, in life always, if you go elsewhere, you always have something which you learn. The coach there was Tuchel and a lot of people that watch this channel are English as well. And they want to know, can he make England win the World Cup? Is he good enough?

38:56Was he good for you? Was he good for you?

39:02well and this time i came from injury and i was not training with the team a lot and from outside what i see and it's good and then i come what he's doing i really really find it interesting and of course it's good coach that's why he's in england today and of course he used to he be in Paris, St-Jolme Court, he win the more prestige competition, Champions League and Super Cup. So today having, I think it's just great for England. And I hope fully England will go to through the final play against Senegal and we win 1-0. Like we did last time. 3-1. Please.

39:50Like we beat them 3-1 in in nothing before the stadium that was crazy that you know you had more fans in the stadium in england yeah yeah it felt like actually me i would i was actually i didn't what i was watching the game in tv but i see before the game we can see no social media fans in the stadium posting in snapchat everywhere in senegal news because it was big game for senegal yeah people so but it was really really important for for and i think from this game you can see the improvement of us 100 so you you end up in saudi how does that how did that happen talk us through because it's been obviously the big big news um and everybody's been talking about saudi and experiences but how did that happen how did it come around for you from by munich to get here yeah i think uh without going by by meaning maybe will not i will not be here yeah i think uh yeah actually i was in bayern and that was time was like kind of uh saudi was trying to bring new players in their league they want to actually they have project which is to bring the best players in the league so when I bought man they call me my agent call me and he said listen we have offer from Saudis and Europe was the club one to you I say okay let's see which is the best because and which is interesting if you think Saudi or other club me no problem just sit with my advisor my agent my family we just sit at the table and when Saudis come, Al Nasser, yeah, listen, we want to make the biggest and the stronger league in the world.

41:51We'll bring many players and the league want to be, we want to host World Cups, we want to, you know, they tell all the stories and they want you to be part. And I say, wow, this is good and interesting. So we sit at the table and then I come here. So what I've noticed in this interview so far is your mindset. You've got an unbelievable mindset about winning and sacrifice and dedication and application. You join a club and you go into a changing room with somebody that all of those words I mentioned, that personifies him as well, Cristiano Ronaldo. What's it like being in dressing with someone like Cristiano now?

42:32Wow. Wow. First of all, usually when I didn't know him, but I was looking on the TV, seeing his reading about him, news, everything about his dedication, his mentality, his professionalism. And I came here when I met him and I think it's the same thing I saw. Just unbelievable. He's hungry every single day, even 41 years. You can see he won two. He's just athlete, complete athlete. Is he still early to training and always last day? He's always doing crazy amounts of work or is it just different now? Now it's kind of different, but he put it in the right way. He's training because for him training is in his blood.

43:20He always, always, he come early. yeah for sure and he go also normal like everybody but um he's just an example for every kind of football player in the world this is this is cristiano his mentality his hunger to win and I never see him come late anyway. Never, never. The professionalism you have is just amazing. For me, I never see another player like him. That's for sure. So, you know when you come to Saudi and you must have had expectations of what it's going to be like and thinking, imagination, what it's going to be like. Has it lived up to expectations? I was kind of surprised, honestly, because people were coming.

44:14Being a Muslim as well must have been a big thing for you. And wow, how the people are. You can see, amazing. I was passing one day people in Ramadan time. It says, hey, come to eat here. I said, my friend, you don't know me. How can I say? No, no, no problem. Because it was people from, they come from Bangladesh, and they was eating those three. And they come, come. No, no, you don't know me. How is it? I was, you know, joking. You don't know me. How can you tell me? No, no, this is here. It's like this. everywhere you've come you have to eat because you were sadio mani or just no they didn't know they didn't know me wow well that shows you what the culture is like here it's about helping it's about together community together community and help each other and share things together and also which is really really for me touching i want to i want to just before we finish i want to think about representation and legacy um leading uh senegal to the african nations cup like what is that for you being african going back from europe and winning that trophy against mo salah

45:26yeah i think honestly

45:33when to even become football player I think it's because of national thing because I came very very very small village and this time we even if you want to watch football you have to go somewhere else to watch football so when you watch your football you only watch national thing the time when I was young Senegal never won Africa Cup that was mentality of everybody in Senegal Senegal will never won anything because they go close they don't win so me the time I say I don't know when I become football player I'm in Africa that was my that was something on me but I don't know how and I said I even not football player but I think like this that I will win something and when I become football player especially Africa Cup I get the pressure I get for me is over is for me before I wonder Africa Cup Rio trust me sometime I play bad because of this pressure because of pressure because I was something which for me was it's not normal well because the fans expecting you and want you to win yes and your expectations of yourself also especially of myself so what can i do i remember when we go to 2021 africa cup real i never slept in the night more than five hours never it never happened and then the time i had biggest fault that was because i was in my time in liverpool and the people in senegal was expecting there was talking too much about he always played good in liverpool he played bad in senegal and have i didn't have no respect i can say pressure man wow and our premier league i will champions league nothing in senegal and it was like normal player in liverpool so you all this in your shoulder it's not easy A national team in Europe, it's okay.

47:48People go, but Africa is, you know how it is. They can burn all your house for nothing.

47:56They can burn your house, everything for, because they, for them, it's because they don't have like league. Manchester United, Liverpool, but they don't have this. They only have, they are national team. For them, the way people crying for Liverpool, for people, I think people in Europe, love the national team but they love club more than some people but Senegal is the opposite so all these million people national team play no car driving some people know it only this so imagine this one that's why it's big pressure so for me i just had to win this and it was really important that's why this year i had so much pressure let's say it again i never sleep more than what's the pressure like you mentioned pressure what's the pressure like um representing a continent and like spire and inspiring the next generation of kids as well for you is that pressure or is that a privilege no that's for me is privilege to be recognized and also be role model for these kids because

49:14especially in your country you can see it's just amazing when you're passing on the street you are in the car or you are somewhere you see your name on your back money money money everywhere you go I think this is something which is until now it just give you extra motivation to be like to be the role model and which is for me really important that we're always trying to to to to be this kind of person for those kids because i i read up on you again research that we have to do for these interviews and it seems to me that you take that seriously that role model element and you're building um hospitals and other things in in senegal explain tell me a bit more about that yeah you know Maybe I have different mentality about this kind of thing because I think being just football player, play finish for me is just not enough.

50:16I want to be very, very big impact in my society, in the pitch and out of the pitch. Maybe if you came from this, you will do the same because you will know how is these people condition how they live how they I'm sure 100 % we do the same the struggle that was my case to give back to those people talking of your continent you know when the awards are given out the big awards do you feel the African players get the recognition that they deserve when it comes to the big awards the Ballon d 'Ors and all this stuff I think now it's changing a lot. Example, you can see some players like us or Generation Mares, more others.

51:07And Ossiman today. And this Jackson displaying also a big team in the big leagues, in the big teams. So I think it's coming after. I don't know if I'm really the good way to talk about but I think we can we can be first of all I was I don't three times in the in the top five and that's why I'm saying it's changing so but I think they can get more more more recognized about this about this kind of um awards right Before we go, every player comes on air and does their best five-a-side team. Of players that they played with, no goalkeepers because goalkeepers don't count. No goalkeepers. Wow. I will put number nine.

51:59I think Firmino, for sure. Firmino, Coutinho. Coutinho. Wow. This coming special player, Koulibaly. You need defenders. defender yeah senegal teammate yeah koulibaly for me and van dyke so how good's van dyke oh he's great great he's a great defender he's great great defender great for me it's really really good to be honest he's really really good visual because i remember when he came he was one of the pieces we needed and he came we had this all success together yeah yeah He's the best defender now, definitely. And your last one? But it's after you. It's you and Brandeis. You know it, I know it.

52:48So this is no discussion. OK? I have Koulibaly, Veggio, Coutinho, Firmino, and Ronaldo. Oh, it's a good team. So Ronaldo right, nine, Firmino nine, Coutinho, and I have two more stands in the back. Monsters, yeah, yeah. No, no, good. Well, listen, Sadio, absolute pleasure, man. Seriously, I've waited a long time. Liverpool, Man United rivalry gone. Gone, gone, gone. We're cool now. When I come back to Riyadh, I'm going to come and visit you, man. No problem. You're welcome. You're welcome. Let's go. Let's go, I see you. I saw you around. I appreciate it. Yeah.

53:39Bye.