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Mamadou Sakho is in his element.

Youngsters sit wide-eyed as the Liverpool defender takes their French lesson. He fields questions in his native tongue and does his best to answer them in English.

“We’re helping each other,” he says with a broad smile.

“I can help you with your French and you can help me improve my English. That way we all benefit.”

Sakho has spent the previous hour at Anfield’s All Saints Catholic Primary School offering coaching tips to the football team out on the yard.

This isn’t your routine community visit from a Premier League footballer.

The Paris-born defender of Senegalese descent didn’t need to be asked to contribute to the fine work of the Liverpool FC Foundation.

It was Sakho who approached Reds staff to volunteer his services following his £15million switch from Paris Saint-Germain in September.

The 23-year-old and wife Madj wanted to find a deserving local cause to support and the pupils at All Saints – just a Simon Mignolet goalkick away from Anfield – fitted the bill.

The visit earlier this week wasn’t a one-off. In his new role as an ambassador for the Foundation, Sakho will be a regular visitor to the school throughout the season.

“I loved spending time here,” he said.

“To play football with the children and then help them practise their French was a great experience for me. Everyone has been so welcoming.

“To be able to pass on advice and help people in the local area is something I feel very passionate about. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to do this.”

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Sakho’s social conscience stems from his own tough upbringing in the Paris neighbourhood of Goutte d’Or.

He joined PSG at the age of 12 but by his own admission he was a teenage tearaway. He was threatened with expulsion from the Academy before he finally knuckled down and established himself.

Sakho will always be grateful for the guidance he received to get him back on track and he wants to help others in the same way.

“I believe we have a duty to give back what we get from the game ourselves growing up,” he said.

“I grew up playing football surrounded by people I admired and respected. I loved spending time with adults when I was young. It made me very passionate about football and taught me the values of football.

“When I was young I dreamed about having the chance to meet and speak with professional footballers. I would have loved that opportunity.

“To be able to give that opportunity to children in Liverpool means a lot to me. It’s a real pleasure to have moments like this.

“I have done similar work in France and in Senegal where I set up my own foundation. This is the perfect thing for me to do over here.

“I hope to visit as many times as I can throughout the year to help with the football team and also in the classroom.”

It was a big decision by Sakho to end his decade-long association with PSG when Liverpool came calling last summer but he has no regrets.

The most expensive centre-back in the club’s history is enjoying life on Merseyside. He has moved into a house in Formby and believes he’s getting to grips with the pace of Premier League football.

“I’m very happy here,” he said.

“I really like Liverpool as a city and I like the people.

“It’s difficult for me to understand when the Scousers talk to me because they speak so quickly... but in time it will be fine.

“I’m having English lessons every week as I want to speak the language better. In about eight months it will be much better.

“French speakers like Kolo Toure and Aly Cissokho have helped me settle but also other players like Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge as well.

“The English League is faster than the French League but I’ve adapted to it. I am still young and I am constantly learning from playing alongside more experienced players.”

Sakho lost his place in the side following last month’s defeat to Arsenal but Daniel Agger’s illness meant he was handed a recall for last Saturday’s 4-1 win over West Ham.

The combative Frenchman marked the occasion in style with his first goal for the club and is hoping to keep his place for Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.

“It was great for my own personal achievement to score,” he said.

“But really the most important thing was that Liverpool won the game. I’ll always do the best I can for the team to help us get good results.

“Everyone wants to be playing regularly, but at the end of the day the manager will decide. I know I have to work really hard if I am going to keep my place.”

Sakho is a national hero in France following his two goals in their remarkable fightback to beat Ukraine 3-2 on aggregate in their World Cup play-off.

However, next summer’s finals in Brazil are far from his thoughts. Sakho’s priority before then is to bring Champions League football back to Anfield.

“It meant a lot to everyone to qualify for the World Cup. It wasn’t just the 11 players that felt that victory, it was the whole country,” he said.

“But the focus now is on our clubs. Everyone knows they have to be playing well for their club if they want to be playing for their country.

“Of course everybody has winning the league in their sights but our main objective this season is to get in the Champions League.

“We’re working hard to achieve that. The team is playing well, the spirit is good and we are moving forward together.”

Having been used to a winter break in France, Sakho faces a very different type of festive season on this side of the Channel.

The second-placed Reds have got five games in the space of 15 days over Christmas and new year, including trips to Manchester City and Chelsea.

“I will be able to adapt – that won’t be a problem,” he said.

“We all realise the importance of these big games coming up. We’ll play as hard as we can to get the points we need to remain in the top four.

“This time of year will be like preparation for next season when we hope to be back in the Champions League and playing even more games.”