Liverpool star Sadio Mane has revealed that he is working very hard to win the Uefa Champions League trophy..
Mane came close to winning the elite competition with the Reds last term after scoring the only goal in their 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in Kiev last June.
After the disappointment, the attacker has been a key member for Jurgen Klopp's men this season and is enjoying an impressive form of 11 goals in his last 13 matches.
Back in Senegal, he was an ardent follower of the Champions League and after achieving the dream of playing in the competition with his boyhood club, he is now hoping to fulfill another wish in his bucket-list by winning the Champions League this term.
“I would watch Champions League ties when I was younger; back then, my ultimate dream was to play in the Champions League one day, so it's fair to say it's a dream come true,” Mane told Uefa website.
“I watched the 2005 final with a friend who was an AC Milan fan, and at 3-0 up, my friend kept telling me: "It's over, we're going to win." Sadly for him, they ended up losing, but it truly was incredible. And here I am today, playing for Liverpool.
“I'm enjoying every moment of it. I'm trying to give everything I've got so I can lift the trophy one day. The dream of any footballer is to improve year on year.
“This is a great period for me and I'm very happy because I'm helping the team. I think I need to never let my guard down because my dream is to improve every season.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s quarter-final fixture against Porto, Mane reflected on Liverpool’s performance in the Champions League last season.
Karim Benzema’s opener followed by Gareth Bale’s brace dented the Reds’ hopes of lifting their 12th European title at the Olympic National Sports Complex but the Senegal international described the whole experience as a 'fantastic' lesson that is helping their cause this term.
“It really was a fantastic experience. As I said before, playing in a Champions League final was a dream for me,” he continued.
“Sadly for us, we were up against a great [Real] Madrid side. They deserved to win, so good for them. We have another chance this year, so we'll try to end up lifting the trophy.
“I was happy to score the equaliser, but when you don't win the final the feeling is different. We really wanted to win. It was a bad experience for us. However, it was positive for all of us because it was the first time playing in the final. So it will help us in the future and during this season. It made us want it more.”
