Now, these media days can often be a visible chore for some footballers but Mané is clearly enjoying his new found purpose as a New Balance leading man. Staying on the pitch for the whole afternoon to coach a hapless SoccerBible writer, who's a full back at absolute best, to shoot with no regard for rapidly disappearing New Balance footballs. With all the balls safely dispatched onto the U16s pitch over the (decent sized) fence we sat down with Mané for a catch up...

Sadio, you’ve had a busy summer. How was your first experience of the World Cup?

It was great. It was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to represent my country at a World Cup, and it was honestly a dream come true for me. Even though we didn’t progress from the group stage it was still an incredible experience. We gave everything we had and I personally learned a lot from it. We would have loved to stay to the end, and I think we had the quality in our team to go far, but sadly it didn't happen that way.

What was it like watching the World Cup when you growing up in Senegal?

The first time I watched a World Cup game was in 2002. That was the first time Senegal had ever qualified for the World Cup and it was great moment that I will never forget in my life. I was ten years old at the time, and that experience of watching my country in a World Cup is what inspired me to become a footballer.

At that point in my life I’d only ever watch the national team and that was the best moment to be a fan. Senegal reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations and the Quarter Final of the World Cup and it was amazing to see how proud the whole of the country was of these players. Every time I play for Senegal now I always think of how happy our performances can make the whole country.