20 February 2023 , 00:00
1165
0
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane has bizarrely snubbed Mohamed Salah in favour of Reds’ cult hero Divock Origi when asked to select the best finisher he has played with in his career.
The Senegalese striker represented one third of a lethal attacking triumvirate alongside the current Liverpool star and Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino. Mane lifted the Premier League crown, the Champions League, the FA Cup and a whole host of other trophies under Jurgen Klopp before a summer move to German giants Bayern Munich.
Considering Salah’s 174-goal haul for the Reds since his arrival, it would have been understandable that the Egyptian would be named as one of Mane’s most lethal teammates. That is not quite the case though.
Asked by 1teamsports on TikTok who the best finisher he has played with in his career, he took a moment to think before selecting ex-Reds striker Origi. The Belgian striker was not the most prolific during his time at Anfield with 41 goals in 175 appearances.
He became a cult hero though following an iconic goal against Barcelona in the Champions League, as well as a brilliant Merseyside derby record. Mane’s claim has also been backed up by Reds’ boss Klopp.
Klopp's dream Liverpool line up as last-gasp January transfers rejected
Speaking last season after Origi had once again scored against Everton, the German said: "He [Origi] is a legend on and off the pitch. Fantastic footballer, a world class striker and is our best finisher.
Sadio Mane struck up a lethal understanding with Mo Salah at Liverpool (Getty Images)How much of a miss has Sadio Mane been for Liverpool this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“Everyone would say the same. You see this in training. It is a really hard decision to make to leave him out. Everyone loves Divock here."
Despite the claims by both Mane and Klopp, Origi has endured somewhat of a nightmare spell since leaving Liverpool. He joined Italian giants AC Milan on a free transfer at the end of his contract on Merseyside.
The 27-year-old has scored just two goals in 21 appearances in all competitions since his switch and has embarrassingly been named as Serie A’s worst signing of the season. He was not the only one of Mane’s former Liverpool colleagues to get a mention.
Jordan Henderson was also selected as the Senegalese forward was handed the task of selecting the best leader among his ex-teammates - the Liverpool captain being the obvious choice. However, Mane did make another obvious omission during the video.
The final question was to pick out the best defender that he has played alongside. Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk would have been an excellent suggestion following his transformative effect at Anfield.
Mane’s pick was instead Senegal teammate Kalidou Koulibaly. The defender enjoyed a stellar spell with Italian giants Napoli but has so far struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League following his summer switch to Chelsea.