- Sadio Mane pays tribute to Liverpool teammates
- Senegalese forward scored hat-trick in 5-0 win over Porto
- Mane named Champions League Player of the Week
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Sadio Mane has hailed his teammates at Liverpool for helping him become a revelation on Merseyside.
The forward has recognised the efforts of his fellow Reds after scoring his first hat-trick for the club in Wednesday’s 5-0 Champions League triumph away to Porto.
Mane’s treble marked a much-needed response to his mixed run of form in recent weeks and helped give Liverpool a healthy advantage heading into the second-leg at Anfield.
The former Southampton man was subsequently named Champions League Player of the Week, but has played down his individual honour and instead praised the combined effort of Jurgen Klopp’s men.
“I’m very happy to win the award, but the most important thing was getting the three points,” he told Liverpoolfc.com.
“I’m happy to have scored the three goals, but I want to score many more and progress to the next round.”
“It was a big honour for me to score the hat-trick, but without my teammates I am nothing. The whole performance of the team was great on the night. We started the game well and did so right until the end, creating many chances and scoring five goals.”
Mane’s 12 goals put him just one behind last season’s tally and have contributed to the 63 produced by himself, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
As a trio, they have spearheaded Liverpool’s impressive response to losing Philippe Coutinho and put the club in a strong position to earn a top-four finish.
The 25-year-old has proven to be an inspired acquisition since his arrival in 2016, with no problems justifying his hefty and once-ridiculed transfer fee.
Mane is reportedly already first in line to be rewarded with a lucrative new deal despite having three years left on his current contract.