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Sadio Mane recently opened up about his relationship with former Liverpool teammate Georginio Wijnaldum. He shed light on their bond and said that they are still in contact despite leaving the Reds.
Mane, 32, currently plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, having joined the club from Bayern Munich last summer. He previously spent six years at Anfield, contributing 120 goals and 42 assists in 269 games. He shared the pitch 197 times with Wijnaldum during that time and they also combined for two goals.
In a recent interview, Mane said about his relationship with Wijnaldum (via Liverpool Echo):
“Gini is one of my very good friends. And (with) Gini, it’s more than football, because our relationship came naturally. Because, when I was in Liverpool, we came at the same time, and he is this kind of person that once he is in the team he becomes friends with everybody. Everybody likes him.
“He is special, and this is the reason when I was there we’ve been good friends - and he was always in my house. Sometimes he would call me to come to my house, and I’m like ‘No, not yet. Get out of here!’.
“He always wants to make fun, and I like this about him. He has a good heart; I can speak about him until tomorrow non-stop. He is amazing and we’re still keeping contact. And that’s really important.”
Wijnaldum also moved to Saudi Arabia last summer, joining Al-Ettifaq from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The side is notably managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane on Saudi Pro League's improvement
Following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in January 2023, the Saudi Pro League has seen a major upturn in quality. A number of stars have joined different Saudi Arabian clubs since then like Neymar Jr., Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane.
Mane, who's in his second season with Al-Nassr, recently spoke about how the league's level has gone up in recent times, saying (via Liverpool Echo):
“You can see it, the level is impressive now. I'd even say it's been since last year, but especially this year, too, as every team has strengthened in level.
"I also think it's good for the league and will give more competitiveness and, of course, it's what football fans expect, so it's beneficial for the championship.”
Mane has scored 23 goals and provided 16 assists in 57 games across competitions for Al-Nassr. Some of his former Reds teammates like Fabinho and Roberto Firmino also play in the Saudi Pro League.
