The story behind a picture of Sadio Mane during his Metz days perfectly encapsulates his humble and modest beginnings.
Mane left a rural village in Senegal for France to pursue a career in football. He made his professional debut at Metz and an emotional image of his time there has surfaced online.
Mane once asked a reporter to take a picture of him so he could show his mother back home. The reporter then asked him for his email address to send the picture to him.
But Mane didn’t have an email address instead he gave the club’s address before asking if the picture is free.
“He saw I got a camera, and he asked me to take a picture of him because he wanted to show his mother. I asked him for his email address. He shook his head. He only gave me the address of the club (Metz). At last, he asked ‘It’s free, right?'” – a reporter on Sadio.❤️ pic.twitter.com/mHl3FZFuHj
— Kloppholic (@Kloppholic) August 19, 2019
“He saw I got a camera, and he asked me to take a picture of him because he wanted to show his mother,” a reporter said about Mane.
“I asked him for his email address. He shook his head. He only gave me the address of the club (Metz). At last, he asked ‘It’s free, right?’
“I noticed a funny guy in the team (Sadio) because he took a Japanese-style bow to anyone he met. He said that the scout of FC Metz just found him in some rural area in Senegal, and he really appreciated the chance,” he added.
Mane carries himself well. He’s very humble and likes to keep things simple as brilliantly explained by the imam at Al Rahma Mosque in the Toxteth area of Liverpool.
“He comes to the mosque often. At his house he has a Bentley – but he comes to us in a not-so-fancy car, so he is incognito,” said Abu Usamah Al-Tahabi.
“He’s not a person looking for fanfare. There’s no arrogance.
“Sadio comes from a poor community. He is the type of guy who will help. He has a lot of initiatives and has helped build a mosque in his home village.”
Mane enjoyed a ultra-prolific campaign last season. He scored 22 league goals for Liverpool as he won the Premier League Golden Boot.
And he’s off the mark this season, scoring twice against Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup before opening his league account versus Southampton.
