Mane racked-up an incredible 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 matches for the Reds after joining the club from Southampton in 2016. And his performances on Merseyside helped Liverpool win the Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League. He also got his hands on the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time in the north west.
Mane ended his Reds career after Bayern shelled out £35million to prise the forward away from Anfield. And he has revealed during an interview with BILDSport that Ronaldo fully endorsed his transfer to Munich.
“I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed,” the 30-year-old said. “He congratulated me and told me: ‘A great club. This is a great step for you.’”
Man Utd icon Cristiano Ronaldo (left) endorsed Sadio Mane's move from Liverpool to Bayern Munich (Image: GETTY)
Mane has scored 11 goals in 24 games since putting pen-to-paper on a three-year contract at the Allianz Arena. His three strikes in the group stages of the Champions League helped Bayern qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition as group winners.
But he endured a three-month injury layoff after injuring his leg just before last year’s World Cup in Qatar and has only just returned to action. He was forced to miss the first leg of his team’s last 16 Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain last month but appeared as a second half substitute on Sunday when his team saw off Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.
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Bayern Munich ace Sadio Mane won a whole host of trophies during a six-year spell with Liverpool (Image: GETTY)
And following his return to the pitch, the Senegal international was full of praise for German football. “The league here is very tight, balanced,” he added. “Look at how close it is at the top. In addition, the mood in the stadiums. Why should anyone say no to the Bundesliga? That would surprise me. You sometimes underestimate the Bundesliga here. This is also shown by the recent successes in the Champions League.”
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is currently plying his trade with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia after having his contract at Manchester United terminated last November. The 38-year-old, who came up against Mane when the Red Devils were thrashed 5-0 by Liverpool in the Premier League last season, has featured six times for his new club and has bagged eight goals.