Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he wasn't all that impressed after meeting Sadio Mane for the first time.
The German opened up about the Senegal international in a documentary about the life of Mane titled Made In Senegal.
The film charts Mane's rise from humble beginnings in Africa to becoming one of the best players in the world.
It also features interviews with those who know him best, including Klopp and team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
The Liverpool superstar joined the club from Southampton in 2016 for £11million and he has since gone on to become a pivotal part of the team.
But it was much earlier where Klopp and the Senegal international first met – and the German was not all that complimentary.
Klopp said in the film: “I remember my first encounter with Sadio. It was in Dortmund. There was a really young guy sitting there. His baseball cap was askew, the blond streak he still has today.
“He looked like a rapper just starting out. I thought, ‘I don't have time for this’. Our team back then really wasn't bad. I needed someone who could handle not being a starter at the very beginning, someone I could develop.
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“I’d say I have a pretty good feeling for people, but was I wrong! I followed his further career and continued success at Salzburg. In Southampton he just dominated.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
