The incredible personal stories behind Klopp’s mentality monsters
By Bence Bocsak
Liverpool’s trio have faced adversity and set-backs on their way to the top. Here are the incredible stories behind their meteoric rise.
The crime riddled Maceio in Brazil, the small hustle and bustle village of Nagrig in Egypt and the poverty-stricken dirt roads of Sedhiou in Senegal may at first glance have nothing in common with one another. They are all places where life is often a toil and where the hardships facing people every day are difficult to fathom from a Western perspectives. They are also the hometowns of each of Liverpool’s dynamic front three Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
The trio have become one of the most formidable partnerships in the history of modern football. Their silky smooth football, ability to pick each other out with ease and deadly precision makes some of the best defenders in the world quake in their boots.
But it is not just on the pitch where Salah, Firmino and Mane find common ground with one another. Whilst they grew up in separate parts of the world, their background and football journey to the top often paved the same roads.
Faced with poverty, Sadio Mane turned up to his first football trials without the right football shoes and shorts, Roberto Firmino would play in his bare feet at his first club at the age of 14 and sometimes Mohamed Salah would struggle to afford the bus tickets to help him get to training.
During their fledgling careers the trio were often faced with similar hurdles and obstacles beyond that of poverty.
Roberto Firmino’s parents would ban him from going outside to play football in Brazil’s slums fearing their son would be embroiled in the gang violence and drugs which were popular amongst the youths. The young Bobby would sneak out, sometimes climbing over the gates of his family house to disobey his parents’ demands and play his beloved game on the streets.
Hailing from a devout family, Sadio Mane’s parents did not want him to pursue football either. They would constantly tell him to focus on his academic studies and had dreams of their son becoming a lawyer or a doctor. Of course, this never came to be. Despite his parents’ wishes Sadio Mane took a bus to a nearby football trial where he caught the eye and was snapped up by a local club in Dakar.
Mohamed Salah would spend hours on the bus every day from the age of 14 commuting to his first professional club Arab Contractors. It would mean spending long days starting from 7am at school and arriving home from training at around 10pm in the evening. Salah speaking to Liverpoolfc.com described how it was a difficult time but it was his determination to succeed in football which kept him going:
That determination was present in all three of them, Firmino who would not succumb to his parents’ demands and defy their wishes. Sadio Mane who took the bus and played football for hours and hours despite his parents’ wishes and Mo Salah who gave up his free time to commute to football training instead.
From a young age the trio had a passion to become footballers. They loved the game and they were hungry to succeed.
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Despite their unfortunate and disadvantageous backgrounds, the trio all persevered and excelled in the sport.
Their journeys would eventually take them to Europe, Firmino to Germany in Hoffenheim, Salah to Switzerland and Basel and Mane to France in Metz.
At their European clubs the three of them continued their perseverance and maintained the hunger which helped to take them away from their humble backgrounds. They all caught the eye, overcame setbacks and eventually found their way to Merseyside and the glory of Anfield.
Their harmony and rhythm on the pitch makes it seem like as if they had been playing football together since they were children. Much of it could go down to their mindset of football.
Having come from harsh backgrounds, they understand the privilege of their position and they play without fear. Their care free nature on the pitch allows for flowing, elegant and dynamic football which makes one marvel.
Often they score and assist one another through marvellous eye-catching techniques and clever individual pieces of skill.
They are without a shadow of a doubt the greatest trio to form a partnership in recent years and their stories of hardship are inspiring for every young footballers in the world today.
No matter one’s background, with enough determination and perseverance anything can be overcome.