Former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel says he is 'pretty sure' he knows why Sadio Mane chose to leave high-flying Liverpool and admits to having had similar feelings himself.
Senegalese international Mane wrote himself into Liverpool folklore during his six seasons at Anfield, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances, helping the club to win almost every major trophy on offer including the Premier League title and the Champions League.
But supporters were left stunned when the AFCON winner made it clear that he wanted to leave the Merseyside club and eventually agreed a move to German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a £27.4million deal that could rise to £35million with add-ons.
And it is the thrill of a fresh challenge which ex-Red Skrtel believes has driven Mane to head for pastures new. In an interview with The Athletic, Skrtel said: “It is difficult to leave a club like Liverpool because if you are there, if you’re doing well like he was doing, and we can call him legend because of what he achieved in the club, it’s brilliant.