In an exclusive interview with Ferdinand, Mane talked about his experience of coming to France from Senegal and playing for Metz.
Ferdinand: From Africa to Europe, what was the most difficult thing for you when you first arrived in France?
Mane: When I got there, it was really, really, really cold. I remember the first day I arrived, probably January 5, 2011. It happened to be winter when I arrived in France.
I heard it was very cold, but it was about 1 pm on the day I arrived. It was really, really cold, and everyone was bundled up.
After only 5 minutes, my hands couldn't bear it anymore. I couldn't feel anything. My hands were completely numb. I was like this at the time (the action is as shown below), and I felt that I could continue. But the coach told me: No, no, no, this is too much, go back to the locker room.
I went to the locker room, got warm water, and put my hands in it. I had never said this before. I stayed up until two or three in the morning, I couldn't sleep, I felt a lot of pain, it was too cold, and I put my hand in hot water, and then I... I couldn't stand it anymore, I couldn't stand it anymore. This is something I have never forgotten to this day.
Two months later, I got injured again, which kept me out of the game for 6 months. So from January to the summer, I didn’t play a single game.
Ferdinand: How did you cope?
Mane: A new country, a new language, a new culture, cold and injuries, and then I had to rest for almost 6 months. It was a very, very difficult time.
Ferdinand: I want to read you a quote from someone, but I want to see if you can tell me who said it.
"He's a well-bred lad, likeable, but you don't get in his way because he doesn't have time for that. You can tell he's not here to mess around. His strength of character is very obvious, and that's one of his strengths. Wherever Sadio is, he always holds his own."
Mane: Is he a Liverpool player?
Ferdinand: No.
Mane: Is it Pierre Bubby or?
Ferdinand: Yes (both laugh). Does this explain you perfectly?
Mane: Yes, yes.
In Metz B team, Mane was teammates with Chinese player Wang Chu
Ferdinand: So who is he?
Mane: He is like the leader in our locker room, the second captain or something like that.
I was training there (Metz B team), and one day I told the coach that because I wanted to play, I told the coach that I didn’t want to stay here anymore. I wanted to go to the lower leagues on loan, just to have game time, because I wanted to play, and I didn’t want to sit on the bench.
They said: "No, no, you should stay, maybe wait until January." In January, the players will go to participate in the African Cup, because there are many African players in our Metz team, and they will go to participate in the African Cup, and the players of the first team will not be delegated.
So at that time, I played four games in the second team, and then the head coach of the first team promoted me directly. Once I entered the first team, I never left. By the time they came back from the Africa Cup of Nations, I was still in the position.
Ferdinand: I like this.
Mane: So Pierre is someone who always gives me advice, telling me not to dribble too much, but I didn’t listen (laughing), but he likes me very much and he always gives me advice, and I think I gave him a hard time, so he said that.
Ferdinand: Have you always been a competitor? Because obviously when African players go to the Africa Cup of Nations, you get into that team and you know they're going to come back... So have you always had that competitive energy? And, like, is the team, how you fit into the team, more important than just winning a game?
Mane: Yeah, I think it's a bit strange, because imagine that I couldn't even play in the second team. I know the competition is more intense, but actually I took the position of the best player in the team, the top scorer and the best player in the team.
This is a huge challenge, what can I do to keep my spot? Because if he comes back, I think I might not be able to play because he is the best player.
So sometimes I say to myself, no, I have to do more. So I went to practice at 6 o'clock in the morning. I didn't want anyone to see it. I secretly went for a run to build up my fitness. Sometimes when I come back from a run, the team members have just gotten up and gone to have breakfast at 8 o'clock.
Ferdinand: Where does self-discipline, persistence, and the drive to focus on being a professional player and perform at your best come from? Is it natural? Or is it from your hometown in Senegal?
Mane: Back home in Senegal, because as I said, I did it because I wanted to be a football player. So I always heard that if you want to be the best, you have to do more than others.
source:7n cm