Sadio Mane Pays Tribute to Fan Through Pitch Celebration

The man warms our hearts in new ways every week.

Sadio Mane scored a 35th minute belter for Liverpool in
yesterday’s 7-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. But he
had another special contribution to the game that fulfilled a
promise he had made to a fan last month.

Back in November, Mane interacted with a Liverpool fan Lee Swan,
and asked if Lee had any celebrations that he wanted Mane to “copy”
on the pitch – a reference to the running joke that Mane frequently
copies Bobby Firmino’s goal celebrations. Mane said, “You know me,
I like to copy celebrations. If you have any celebrations, show me
now.” Swan then showed M ane a celebration in which he kissed his
finger and then pointed to the to the sky, a tribute to his late
grandfather.

And sure enough, Mane delivered last evening, performing Lee’s
celebration, a moment that has been appreciated by fans all around.
Lee is a volunteer at a community center and has been a long-term
Reds supporter.

Mane had also arranged for Lee to tour Anfield, and Lee went on
to score a goal on the pitch after which he performed his
celebration.

“Giving Lee the tour was a highlight of lockdown. He is a real
character and it was a pleasure to help him realise his dream of
scoring at Anfield”, Mane had said after the visit, and his gesture
last night was a fitting tribute to fans like Lee and his
grandfather who form an important part of the club’s wider
community.