Senegal international Sadio Mane gave his honest insight on the tough season the Reds are going through at Anfield and how he and his teammates hope to change the situation.
Opening up on this season’s adversities where they have been heavily beleaguered by injuries crippling the team – resulting in an unprecedented horrendous run at home in the Premier League and seeing their chances of defending the title vanish and likely even a top four finish slip away in front of their eyes – Mane enthused that there is yet a belief prevailing inside the Anfield dressing room that the future is actually very bright.
The world-class Liverpool star explained how boss Jurgen Klopp and his team mates are coming to grips with the situation while reaffirming with quiet defiance that he is “more proud than ever to be a Liverpool player”.
“Let’s be honest,” Mane said. “We are in a difficult time and this sometimes happens to teams, which again is part of football.
“We have to deal with the situation and not stop believing, but keep fighting, keep our motivation and go again.
“When you are a fighter you never try to make excuses, we are here to find solutions.
“Being together with my teammates always gives me high energy.
“You can see the quality of the team and if you came to the dressing room I think you would have no other option than to see your future like it is going to be bright because with this squad and this team there is the attitude and belief that everything will change.”
Despite having recorded just one assist in his last seven Premier League games, the striker vindicated himself by scoring in each of the Reds’ Champions League last-16 wins over RB Leipzig, handing his team real hope they could produce something special in the most prestigious tournament on the continent this season where they are yet to experience defeat after having scored 16 goals and conceding just once.
He added:
“In football – and in life in general – you can’t expect anything and for years and years this complicated situation has not happened.
“We have always been successful, but now this has happened and we can see it is like how life is.
“To change it? Nothing else but stick together, be positive and fight.
“This is what we try to do to change this situation and I’m sure that it will change. I am more proud than ever to be a Liverpool player.
“I am happy, I am really enjoying being here and sharing the pitch with my teammates for Liverpool Football Club.”