It is a shame Mane finished fourth in Ballon d'Or - Messi

The Barcelona forward has held the Senegal international in high esteem after a fantastic year with the Reds

Lionel Messi has stated Sadio Mane was his pick for the 2019 Ballon d'Or because of his achievements with .

The Argentine beat Mane's teammate Virgil van Dijk and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the gong in Paris on Monday night for a record sixth time, while Mane polled fourth.

He still didn't stop short of praising the former man.

"It’s a shame to see Mane finish in fourth place," Messi told Canal+.

"But I think there have been a lot of great players this year. That’s why it was difficult to choose a particular player. ‘But I chose Sadio Mane because he’s a player that I like.

"Mane achieved a great year that was exceptional for the entire Liverpool team. That’s why I chose him. ‘

"I repeat, there were a lot of very great players this year, so the choice was difficult."

Mane was a key cog in the Liverpool side that won the 2018-19 and finished a close second in the Premier League, scoring 26 competitive goals and providing five assists.

In the current campaign, he has already had a hand in 20 goals (13 goals, seven assists) in 21 competitive appearances, with the Reds holding an eight-point lead in the English top-flight.