Mane admits parents said he was 'wasting time' trying to become a footballer

Sadio Mane has revealed growing up his parents thought it was a waste of time trying to become a professional footballer - but a Liverpool flop inspired him to keep the belief.

Mane has opened up on his idols, one of which was former Reds striker El-Hadj Diouf.

Although not a Liverpool fan favourite following his feud with Steven Gerrard, Diouf played his role in inspiring Mane to becoming a Liverpool regular when no one believed he would make it.

'When I was young, I had lots of favourite footballers, but Ronaldinho was my real favourite, along with El-Hadji Diouf from Senegal,' Mane told Bleacher Report.

'They really inspired me. Those two players were examples for me as a footballer. They were skilful players and good dribblers who beat their opponents easily.'

Diouf had a dismal two-year stint at Anfield and was remembered more for his antics off the pitch than on it after controversies that included spitting, brawls and a feud with Gerrard.

But with the Senegal man at the forefront of his mind, Mane never lost hope he could become a star as his parents pushed for him to enter education.

'I was born in a village where there had never been a footballer who'd made it in the major championships,' he continued.

'I remember that when I was little, my parents felt that I should study to become a teacher. They thought football was a waste of time and I'd never succeed at it. I always said: "This is the only job that will enable me to help you. And I think I have a chance to become a footballer".'

Despite making it as a footballer, Mane has always remained humble and true to his roots. The 26-year-old made headlines recently for helping to clean his local mosque soon after scoring the winner in Liverpool's win against Leicester.

He claims he enjoys the quiet life, spending time with family and friends and watching TV among other things, rather than being a 'party animal'

'I'm not a party animal or someone who travels a lot. When I'm not playing football, I prefer to recover and spend time with my friends and my family. During the holidays, I always go back to my village to spend time with my family and my childhood friends.'

The forward joined Liverpool two summers ago in a £34million move from Southampton in order to improve and compete. He's made a lot of progress since then but claims there is still more to come.

'I've improved in lots of ways, and I'm really happy. That was what I was hoping would happen [when I joined Liverpool]. I think there are still lots of things that I can improve, so I'll try to keep working hard.'