‘Row Z’: Ex-Liverpool and Saints icon recalls ‘awful’ first impression.

Sadio Mane will go down as one of Liverpool’s greatest players of the modern era, but there was a time when even his own teammates didn’t rate him.

The Senegalese striker formed part of the Reds’ iconic front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Mane scored 120 goals and provided 42 assists in 269 appearances in all competitions between 2016 and 2022, helping Liverpool to Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup titles in a brilliant spell under Jurgen Klopp.

Of course, Mane’s success at Liverpool was made possible by his start to life in England at Southampton, who he joined from RB Salzburg in 2014.

Mane recorded 25 goals and 12 assists in 75 appearances over two seasons for the Saints, helping them finish seventh and sixth in the Premier League and qualify for the Europa League.

Shane Long describes first impression of ex-Liverpool and Saints star Mane as “awful”.

But Mane, who now plays in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr after an unsuccessful spell at Bayern Munich, did not always look like he was on the road to stardom.

Indeed, former Southampton team-mate Shane Long described his first impressions of Mane as “awful”.

“When Sadio first arrived, for the first six months, it was horrible.” Long told the Fozcast.

“Obviously he wasn’t horrible, I take that back. He had those moments where you thought, ‘Oh, he’s got something.’ You used to hit him and get hurt. He’s got that strength about him. But he’s just small, he’s quick.

“But he could take on everybody and throw him into row Z trying to cross the ball. He could run out of bounds, that sort of thing.

“But then (Ronald) Koeman managed to train him and train him and stuff, and he just got that run of form and you thought, ‘Oh my God, this guy can only go to the top.’

Fortunately for Mane, first impressions are not always correct.

Top photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images