EXCLUSIVE
lofty ambitions
Southampton forward Moussa Djenepo hails Liverpool’s Sadio Mane as a ‘big inspiration’ and hopes to be better than Premier League star one day
Southampton forward Moussa Djenepo has told talkSPORT that Sadio Mane is a 'big inspiration' to him - and hopes he can one day eclipse the Liverpool star.
The 21-year-old, who was a £14million acquisition from Standard Liege last summer, has been likened to the Senegal international after a promising start to his stint in England's top flight.
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And Djenepo is a man who certainly doesn't lack ambition, insisting he can establish himself as a top-class player - which Mane already is - in the future.
"Sadio is a big inspiration for me. I like him, he's a very big player," he remarked.
"But I think I can be better [than him] if I work hard. Sadio is a very big player, and I'm young and I need to learn more.
"In the future we will see. I will do my best to become the next Sadio Mane."
Speaking to talkSPORT last December, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino drew comparisons between the pair saying: “He’s got that Mane in him where you just don’t know what way he’s going to go.
“He’s going to run at you, he’s going to do this little jinking movement and it’s very hard for a defender to know where he’s going to go, which side, left or right.”
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Mane thrived for Saints after arriving for £11.8million from RB Salzburg in 2014, scoring 21 Premier League goals in two seasons.
And his form earned him a big-money move to Liverpool, who he helped win a sixth Champions League trophy last term.
Meanwhile, Djenepo has also heaped praise on Southampton talisman Danny Ings - who texted him upon his arrival at the club last summer.
"It was a big motivation for me, that a big player like Danny took time to text you when you are young like I am," he explained.
"It meant everything to me. Danny's a very, very good guy.
"He's given me so much advice in training, we smile together and I'm trying to teach him the French language as well!"
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