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There's something awfully disconcerting about being able to hide in plain sight.

Especially when you regularly perform in front of thousands watching inside a stadium with millions tuning in at home.

Sadio Mane, though, would be forgiven for thinking he was borderline invisible in the aftermath to Liverpool's impressive opening start to the Premier League season.

After the Reds comprehensively swept West Ham United aside 4-0 in their biggest first-day win for 24 years, the plaudits were plentiful.

Mohamed Salah was saluted for getting straight back in the saddle after his Champions League final torment by netting the opener.

New signing Naby Keita's contribution generated serious excitement, while alongside him James Milner was praised for rolling back the years.

Daniel Sturridge's goalscoring cameo from the bench prompted debate over his role for the forthcoming campaign, and even Alisson Becker's minimal contribution was dissected and discussed.

But the man who scored twice saw his efforts largely overshadowed.

Such has been the case for Mane for much of the last 12 months, the Senegalese often failing to command the same banner headlines as some of his team-mates, strike partners Salah and Roberto Firmino in particular.

Perhaps the lack of novelty surrounding Mane counts against him. Indeed, it would be difficult for any player to maintain the explosive start to an Anfield career the forward enjoyed having arrived from Southampton in the summer of 2016.

And once Salah soon assumed the mantle as Liverpool's leading forward last season, there were even some whispers Mane had served his purpose as he struggled with injury and form having been shifted from the right flank to the left after the Egyptian's arrival.

His performances since the turn of the year have quashed such talk in emphatic fashion.

While his final numbers were dwarfed by Salah and Firmino, Mane still finished with 20 goals and nine assists.

Half of those goals came in the Champions League, including a hat-trick at Porto, goals in both legs of the semi-final against Roma and the equaliser that gave Liverpool hope in the final against Real Madrid.

Mane, who missed the run-in of the previous campaign through injury, finished the season stronger than any other Liverpool player. Indeed, it was sufficient for Real to start briefly sniffing around the Senegalese during the summer.

No player featured in more Premier League minutes for Liverpool than the 2,578 the 26-year-old totalled last season.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

So to the new campaign. And Jurgen Klopp handing Mane the number 10 shirt, vacant since the departure of Philippe Coutinho, underlined the importance with which the Reds boss regards the winger.

Yes, his second goal against West Ham should have been flagged for offside. But the manner in which Mane comprehensively swept the ball home augurs well.

Even the finish for his first goal was more difficult than initially met the eye, having to stretch a leg behind him to divert James Milner's low cross into the empty net.

And his overall display oozed confidence, evidence by first-half snapshot that saw him pick up the ball in midfield, assess his options for a moment and then simply breeze past four West Ham defenders.

With Firmino and Salah both signing new Liverpool contracts in recent months, the Reds are hopeful Mane follows suit in the coming weeks.

Safeguarding his long-term future is an imperative. Mane, like Liverpool, is primed to step up another level this season.

That iconic number 10 shirt - Coutinho, Michael Own, Luis Garcia and John Barnes among the previous occupiers - already sits comfortably on his shoulders.