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.
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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. But I think each player, at a certain stage of his career, has a feeling that you need to change. You need some maybe new motivation, a new challenge.
“After eight and a half years (with Liverpool), I also had that feeling like, ‘Oh, maybe I should change something’ to find a different kind of experience. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an easy decision for him to leave the club. But he gave his maximum and did really well for the club, and now all you can do is wish him luck. If they (Bayern Munich) play in the future against Liverpool, I hope he won’t be at his best!”
Centre-back Skrtel, who is now retired from the professional game, made 320 appearances for the Reds, scoring 18 goals. He was part of the Brendan Rodgers team that came agonisingly close to ending Liverpool's long wait for a top-flight league title during the 2013-14 season, scoring seven times himself in that campaign - his best return for the club.
Skrtel's only major honour with the Reds came in the 2012 League Cup final, scoring in the final before beating Cardiff City on penalties at Wembley.
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