"Overall he was your best player" - Michail Antonio picks 30-year-old star as Liverpool's best player last season
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio believes Sadio Mane was Liverpool's best player last season. The 30-year-old forward left Anfield after six incredibly successful seasons, in which he scored 120 goals in 269 appearances across competitions.
Alphonso Davies was hyped for Sadio Mane's first goal for Bayern 😅 https://t.co/YYUomtd5AN
Mane will undoubtedly be a huge loss for Jurgen Klopp's side for the upcoming campaign, as he netted 23 times and provided five assists in 51 games last term. Speaking on the Footballer's Football Podcast, Hammers forward Antonio told Reds' supporter Rickie Haywood Williams (as quoted by Rousing The Kop):
“I want to know, how do you feel about losing Mané? In my eyes, I’m going to say this, Mané was your best player. Overall, he was your best player!”
The Senegal international won every major trophy during his time at the Merseyside club, including their first league championship in three decades in 2020.
Mane also scored his nation's winning penalty during the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, also guiding his side to World Cup qualification.
The forward joined Bayern Munich for £28.8 million (Transfermarkt). His last appearance for the Reds came in last season's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
Sadio Mane is having an incredible year 🤩 https://t.co/ivEkfo5yHe
Pundit claims Liverpool 'can't be as strong' without Sadio Mane
The Reds didn't appear to miss Mane in their first competitive game as they beat Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield.
New £85 million record-signing Darwin Nunez opened his account for the club, but Joleon Lescott believes the Reds will miss Mane this season.
The former England and Manchester City defender told the PA news agency (as quoted by the Independent):
“I think the top two teams are going to be City and Liverpool and I think City are the favourites due to them winning last season. I think you should be favourites if you are the reigning champions but also I think they’ve added to the squad with some quality.
“I think it’s going to be slightly more difficult for Liverpool. I know they’ve signed Nunez, but without Mane, they can’t be as strong. The same could be said about Manchester City losing Raheem, but in regards to Liverpool losing Mane I think that’s a huge loss.”
Klopp's side lost out on the Premier League title to Manchester City by one point last season, but did claim both domestic cups. Mane's ability to play anywhere across the front three makes him one of the leading attackers in world football. The Reds will be hopeful that 23-year-old Nunez can make a similar impact at Anfield.
1 game. 1 goal. 1 trophy. Mane is the Man of the Moment in Munich. 😉 https://t.co/YnxaOtiEii