After experiencing heartbreak in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Algeria, Sadio Mane returned to the village he grew up in to check on how the construction of school he's financing is coming along.
In April last year, the Champions League-winning Liverpool winger donated over £200,000 so that the next generation of kids in Bambali have a new secondary school to give them opportunity to prosper in life like he did.
Having already paid for a hospital to be built as well as handing out money to families, the former Southampton forward is humble as ever and never fails to remember where he came from.
When the player's uncle ,Sana Toure, presented the cheque earlier this year, he read out a speech on behalf of Mane and said, "Education is very important. This is what will enable you to have a good career."
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Mane is an absolute hero back home but his unbelievable gestures are not for show. When The Telegraph spoke to him about his act of charity in building a school, he requested it be left out of the interview - adding "I do not do this for publicity."
The 27-year old does not do it for attention; he does it because he genuinely cares about where he was raised and is well aware of the poverty-stricken conditions that many are living in.
Aged 16, with his parents not allowing him to leave school, Mane packed his stuff and ran away - his goal being to make his way to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to try and further his career and he fled having only told his best friend about his plan.
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"I prepared everything down to the minute, knowing that I did not have any money at all," Mane told France Football in an in-depth interview.
"At sunset, I hid in the tall grass, in front of my house, and early the following morning, I brushed my teeth and didn't even take a shower. I left without telling anyone, apart from my best friend.
"I walked for a long time to meet up with a friend who loaned me some money so that I could take the bus to Dakar."
When he attended his first ever trials, he felt completely out of place. Other youngsters laughed at him as he did not have the right equipment.
Fast forward to 2019 and nobody is laughing at all.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Senegal, Football, Africa Cup of Nations, Sadio Mane
