Former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has admitted that he was asked to encourage Sadio Mane to join the Reds instead of Liverpool.
Schneiderlin joined United from Southampton in 2015. While on the South Coast, the Frenchman played alongside Mane who was enjoying a brilliant campaign for the Saints.
With several teams interested, Schneiderlin was instructed by Louis van Gaal to convince the Senegalese international to move to Old Trafford. However, as he told the Players Pod, Mane had other ideas.
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"From the first day, you could see that he had something about him," Schneiderlin explained. "It took him a bit of time, a few months, to get really going.
"And then as soon as he started to score some goals, it was game over. It was amazing.
"I remember Louis van Gaal asking me about him coming to Man United. I tried my best for him to come as well.
"He wanted to stay one more year [at Southampton] and go to Liverpool. I think the choice that he made was amazing.
"He arrived in the Liverpool squad that was just untouchable at the time." Mane's spell at Anfield would see him score 120 goals in 269 appearances.
During that time, the 31-year-old won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and was named the Premier League's top goalscorer in the 2018/19 season. As for Schneiderlin, his time at United was less positive.
While he won the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup, Schneiderlin managed just two years at Old Trafford before being sold to Everton. The Frenchman now plays for Western Sydney in the Australian A-League on loan from Ligue 1 club Nice.
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