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You would expect Sadio Mane to be the first to jump on the Naby Keita bandwagon which is finally starting to roll at Anfield.

After all, the two are not only close friends but former team-mates, which played a key role in Keita’s £50m signing for Liverpool last summer.

Yet after his best spell so far in a troubled Reds first season – prompting some Keita-kudos ahead of a huge clash with Chelsea from the fanbase – Mane burst the hype balloon with a clinical assessment that his best pal can do far, far more than he has so far.

Even after two goals in two games for the Guinea international which whetted the appetite for Sunday’s huge title clash, Mane said: “The real Naby is coming still. We have more to see from him.

“Naby is a big boy so he knows how football can work, and sometimes not. So he is very positive and he knows he can do more.

(Image: PA)

“I am sure he can do more. We have a lot more to see from him and I am sure we will see it. I know him very well and there is more to come.”

Mane should know. The two first became friends when their paths briefly crossed at Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2014. In fact, Keita’s debut with the Austrian club came when Mane was sent off.

They did eventually play together, recording 8-0 and 5-0 victories before the Senegal star got a big-money move to Southampton.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Mane recalls that his friend struggled badly in those first few months, and only at the end of a difficult initial spell in Austria did his talent blossom. That is why he is convinced Keita will bloom into a Reds superstar.

Asked if Keita is a player who needs time to adapt, he replied: “I knew him from a long time ago, from the first time he came to Salzburg and he was the same.

“He was not playing for a while and he was really positive and after he was the star of the team. At the beginning at Salzburg it was very tough for him but he never stopped working hard.

(Image: Adam Pretty)

“I am 100 per cent sure he will do incredibly well. He played well the last two games.”

The two spend a lot of time together away from the training ground, sharing cultural experiences, with Mane helping his friend learn a new language and adapt to the demands of the Premier League.

It has not been easy, especially given the complications of Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy system. But Mane performed a similar role when he first arrived in Salzburg, and he said: “I’m trying to help him and everyone in the team and the coach as well.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters)

“It is not easy to move from Germany to change club, especially as the league is not the same. I just talked to him to do what I can.

“It is part of the things you have to deal with and he is working hard every single day. I spend a lot of time with him, yes, and off the pitch I am very happy for him, he’s very relaxed.

“At the moment it is going well for him and everyone is very happy for him. Goals always give him more confidence. He scored two goals and it boosts his confidence.”