Sadio Mane Reveals Liverpool Legend Had a Word in His Ear to Help Inspire Hat-Trick Against Porto

Liverpool's Sadio Mane locked his recent underwhelming form behind him and threw away the key after a blistering performance against Porto in the last 16 Champions League tie on Wednesday night. 

The 25-year-old netted his first hat-trick in Liverpool colours to pave the way for an emphatic 5-0 victory over their Portuguese counterparts. Reds legend Jamie Carragher could be the man to thank for Mane's performance after he apparently got in the ear of the winger during the half time interval. 

After the match the Senegal international spoke to Jan Aage Fjortoft on Scandinavian TV, and Mane revealed the former Liverpool defender's instructions.

He said: "He's my great friend. At half time he told to score more goals and I tried. Luckily I got three goals today and [I'm] happy."

The advice from the 40-year-old looked to have been taken as gospel as Mane chipped in with another two goals in the second 45 to add to his first from the opening half, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino also taking their place on the score-sheet. 

Carragher was also full of praise for his teammate and Liverpool's record signing Virgil van Dijk after he helped secure the Reds' third successive away clean sheet. 

He added on the Dutch defender's performance against Porto: "Van Dijk has been immense. The best way to describe [him] is that he is a man playing against boys, and this is Champions League level."

After securing a 5-0 victory in the away leg, Liverpool look destined to make their way into the quarter final stages of the competition for the first time since season 2008/09.