It will take some persuading for Jurgen Klopp to give Mamadou Sakho another chance, but most Liverpool supproters will be hoping he does.
Just six months ago, Mamadou Sakho thumped home a header to provide the platform for one of those famous European nights at Anfield; a scarcely believable 4-3 win at home to Borussia Dortmund.
Flash forwards to the present day, and Mamadou Sakho is starring at the back in a tense draw against North West rivals Manchester United. Though not in the way he, or any Liverpool fan who watched him progress from an erratic, mistake-a-minute liability into a roaring, soaring leader, would have anticipated.
24 hours after Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip combined to nullify the cumulative threats of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on ‘Red Monday’ in front of a sell-out Anfield crowd, Sakho was throwing himself characteristically into tackles in front of 3000 at the Leigh Sports Village for Michael Beale’s Under-23s.
It’s been quite the fall for a player who took so long to prove his worth on Merseyside. The drugs test debacle that robbed him of a place in the Europa League final and France’s Euro 2016 squad on home soil preceded a very public falling out with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who advised Sakho to leave on loan after being sent home from the club’s pre-season training camp. The former PSG prodigy refused; a decision that looks increasingly mistaken.
Now, with Lovren improving by the game, Matip finding his feet, Joe Gomez returning from injury, and Ragnar Klavan and Lucas offering stable alternatives, a route back into the first-team appears blocked at every avenue for the fans favourite. Though at least he’s kept them onside.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
