PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Sadio Mane – Danny Ings sings his praises

by Phumzile Ngcatshe

Friday Apr 20, 2018. 16:00

Liverpool striker Danny Ings believes his Senegalese teammate Sadio Mane has not endured an ordinary season, but a brilliant one.

Mane has netted 17 goals for the Reds this season despite a difficult spell in December and although the 26-year-old has been outshone by team mates Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

However, Ings reckons that the ‘Smiling Assassin’ still had an impressive campaign at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp.

“For anyone’s ‘bad’ season, that’s extremely good! There’s no such thing as a bad season for him, he has been absolutely brilliant,” Ings told Liverpoolfc.com.

“He is so sharp; when he faces anybody up in a one-v-one situation you fancy him every single time.

“His runs in behind, his intelligent movement coming short, inside and helping Robbo (Andy Robertson) get down the outside – they’re the sort of things that go unnoticed sometimes.

“From the outside looking in, it’s [about] goals and assists. He gets all of that, all of our front three do. But it’s the movement and work-rate that really catches my eye.”

Mane’s goals have helped Liverpool to third in the English Premier League and have also impressed in the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool are through to the semi-finals of the European competition and will meet Italian Serie A side AS Roma across two legs for a place in the final