Lamptey names star Liverpool sold and Rashford as toughest opponents

Follow us on Google Discover

Tariq Lamptey feels Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford are his toughest opponents yet. The winger Liverpool sold and Manchester United ace amazed the Brighton & Hove Albion star.

What Mane and Rashford have shown in their Premier League meetings with Lamptey left a huge impression on the right-back. He faced the former on three occasions before Mane joined Bayern Munich last June. While he has defended against Rashford in four matches.

Liverpool opted to sell Mane to the record Bundesliga champions for an initial £27.5m plus £7.5m in add-ons. The Senegal sensation had entered into the final year of his contract at Anfield. He moved to Bavaria on a three-year deal after 90 goals over 196 top-flight games.

Mane cost Liverpool £34m when signed from Southampton in June 2016 and proved to be vital under Jurgen Klopp. The 30-year-old also helped the Reds win the Premier League in 2018/19. He left with winners’ medals in the Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup, too.

Rashford, meanwhile, has scored 70 goals during 226 career Premier League appearances with Manchester United. He has only outscored his current campaign’s tally of 11 goals in 22 games during the 2019/20 term. The 25-year-old hit 17 goals in 31 games that season.

Lamptey hails what Mane and Rashford gave Liverpool and Man Utd vs Brighton

Rashford would not prevent Lamptey and Brighton from being Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford back in August, though. The Seagulls took a 2-1 win on the opening day of the season. It was also Lamptey’s first win against either of Rashford or Mane in the top-flight.

Manchester United had beaten Brighton 3-0, 3-2 and 2-0 in their previous three meetings where both Rashford and Lamptey featured. While Liverpool beat Brighton 3-1, drew 2-2 and won 2-0 in their three Premier League games with both Mane and Lamptey involved.

While Lamptey faced Mane for a total of just 143 minutes and Rashford for 162, their work for Liverpool and Manchester United astounded the Brighton right-back. He now considers the pair to be the toughest Premier League players that he has defended against to date.

“I would say Sadio Mane and Marcus Rashford are the two best that I have faced in the Premier League,” Lamptey told Sky Sports. “They are just great players.”