Sadio Mane admits to having had “disagreements” with Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, but says an “exceptional” team-mate remains “a great pleasure to play beside”.
Two star forwards at Anfield have butted heads at times, with emotions spilling over during a Premier League trip to Burnley earlier this season.
Mane made it clear that he was less than impressed with Salah’s selfish streak when substituted in a 3-0 win over the Clarets at Turf Moor.
Both men were quick to make light of the incident afterwards, but it was also suggested that tension had been bubbling away for a while.
Any issues appear to have been ironed out, with Mane maintaining his stunning form in 2019-20, and the Senegalese insists he enjoys playing alongside an Egyptian star who can occasionally frustrate him.
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Mane told France Football of Salah: “He’s a crazy goalscorer and an exceptional player who can do everything.
“We have sometimes had our disagreements, but it remains a great pleasure to play beside him because I have the feeling we speak the same type of football.”
Salah is not the only fellow African that Mane is pleased to have alongside him on Merseyside, with Guinean midfielder Naby Keita a welcome presence in the Liverpool ranks.
“He’s more than a friend for me, he’s a brother,” Mane added.
"It hasn’t been easy for him lately because he was injured for a long time, but I know he’ll come back to his best, because he’s working hard to do so.
“He just needs to improve his English to be understood more by everyone, but to be able to count on a true friend in the group, that’s priceless. It’s even calming at times.”
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Having formed close bonds with those he shares the field with, Mane admits to also embracing the methods of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – with the German’s man-management skills considered to be among the best in the business.
Mane said of his coach: “His secret, I think, is to be the team’s dad. Between us, everything clicked straight away.
“We all love him like a father and we fear him like one too.
“He takes up a lot of space in my life, and not just in football. He’s great as a person.
“I trust him blindly, like most of the dressing room, I think.”
Mane and Liverpool are currently preparing for two important outings in domestic and European competition, with a Champions League clash with Genk on Tuesday set to be followed by a crucial meeting with fellow Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City on Sunday.
