Garth Crooks suggests Sadio Mane is Liverpool’s player of the season

Follow us on Google Discover

Sadio Mane’s brace on the final day of the season saw the Liverpool forward finish the campaign as the Premier League’s joint top goalscorer.

Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he would argue that Sadio Mane has been Liverpool’s player of the season despite Virgil van Dijk being named as the Premier League’s best by his fellow professionals.

It has been an incredible season for the Reds – one that could still end with the club winning the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp’s men finished on 97 points in the league, ultimately one point behind Manchester City.

At one stage on Sunday, the Reds were ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side as they led against Wolves while City had to come from behind to beat Brighton.

Having scored both of the goals at Anfield, Mane moved himself alongside Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the top of the Premier League’s goalscoring charts.

And while van Dijk, understandably, seems to be the one taking most of the plaudits, Crooks insisted that he would say that Mane has been even more important to Klopp’s side over the course of the campaign.

“This has not been an easy season for Liverpool because Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah have either been injured or off the boil. Enter Sadio Mane. The Senegal striker has held the fort during his team-mates’ difficulties and kept them in contention,” he told BBC Sport.

“If Liverpool win the Champions League final, and that is by no means a foregone conclusion, then Mane will have played a massive part in their success. Van Dijk may be the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year but for me Mane is Liverpool’s player of the season.”

It was the most incredible title race with Liverpool finishing second having not dropped a point since their first match in March, while they have not lost a league match since their first game in 2019.

And if Klopp can keep all of his key players this summer, then it would take a very brave person to bet against Liverpool going one better next year having come so close this time around.