SADIO MANE was so keen to get back to playing football that he forgot to take a knee ahead of the Merseyside derby.
Before kick-off, as has been the case for all Premier League games post-lockdown, the referee’s whistle was blown to signal players taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Sadio Mane (top of the image) accidentally darted off at the sound of the whistle, despite it being intended for all players to take a knee
With absolutely no malice intended, a clearly over-eager Mane forgot and instead charged up the pitch as Liverpool started the game.
After realising his error, the Senegal superstar, 28, jogged back to his own half.
Mane then lined up with his Reds team-mates on the halfway line and took a knee, along with all the players from rivals Everton.
Referee Mike Dean also took a knee.
Premier League stars have thrown their considerable weight behind the Black Lives Matters movement since George Floyd’s horrific death at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, USA.
NFL star Colin Kaepernick was the first sports star to take a knee – doing so during the American national anthem – to take a stand against racism and inequality in the US in 2016.
And that has now been adopted by football stars across the globe as sport gradually returns to action.
Mane did return to his own half and take a knee after realising his error
Meanwhile, Liverpool are fearful of losing Senegal star Mane this summer in a £150million deal, with the forward yet to sign a new contract and Real Madrid rumoured to be interested.
The Kop idol is yet to offer any indication that he will sign the new deal that was first offered to him nine months ago.
And boss Jurgen Klopp is growing anxious over the situation.
He has told the Liverpool hierarchy that even if Mane is contracted until 2023 he wants a firm answer on whether is he prepared to commit for longer.
However, the Reds are on the point of tying down central defender Virgil Van Dijk to a new £250m contract that will run till 2025 as revealed by SunSport.
Aston Villa and Sheffield United players take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement ahead of first game of Premier League return
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
