Sadio Mane has revealed that he let Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp know of his desire to leave a year before his Bayern Munich move.
The Senegalese attacker completed his move to the Bundesliga juggernauts in June, drawing his successful six years with the Reds to a close. Mane imposed himself as one of the key members of Liverpool's quadruple-chasing side as he hit a purple patch at the business end of the campaign.
During his career at Anfield, Mane was a key cog in Jurgen Klopp's strike force as he forged a ferocious partnership with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. Before Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota entered the fray to add to the options.
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The 30-year-old's final season on Merseyside saw him score 23 goals in 51 appearances. However, at the beginning of the last campaign, he had already made up his mind on his future.
"It was last year I took my decision to leave because I need a new challenge in my life," Mane told BBC Sport Africa.
"For me, it was the right time. I spoke with the coach [Jurgen Klopp] one year ago and talked to him about my desire to leave. If you see my story, I came from a small town - my life was always a challenge, so I want to challenge myself all the time.
"I spent eight years in the Premier League, and of course I spent six wonderful years with Liverpool and I can say we won almost everything possible. It was not an easy decision but in life, you have to sometimes take decisions and so far I think it's the best decision I have taken in my career," Mane added.
"I'm today at one of the best clubs in the world and I'm really, really happy to be at Bayern Munich and very excited to start this season."
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