Gary Neville Admits 'Vital' Sadio Mane Has Surprised Him Since Joining Liverpool in 2016

Gary Neville has admitted that he has been extremely surprised at how important Sadio Mane has become for Liverpool, even going as far as to say Mane is the most vital part of the Reds' squad.  

Since his arrival from Southampton, Mane has cemented his role in the starting XI for the Reds, and was a key man in their fourth place finish last season. However while on international duty with Senegal, Mane picked up a hamstring injury and could be out for several weeks, which means missing this weekend's clash with Manchester United. 

Dan Mullan/GettyImages

Former United star Neville told Sky Sports: "Sadio Mane has become such a force for Liverpool. He’s definitely the attacker who offers something different for Liverpool, but they have still got Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho so they do offer a real threat.

"You would have never said before Mane joined he’d be the most pivotal player but you would now say, given what happened during the African Cup of Nations last season, losing him is a big psychological blow.

LINDSEY PARNABY/GettyImages

"However, they do have Salah, who does fill that speed gap and gives them something else, so that ultimately means the loss is less of an issue this time."

After their 1-1 draw against Newcastle in the last Premier League game week, Liverpool want to try and correct their poor start to the season with a win against bitter rivals Manchester United. However this will prove to be quite the challenge, as United have had an unbeaten start to the season and won't want that to end against Liverpool.