Salah admits tension with Mane at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah has revealed that tension existed between himself and Sadio Mane during their time together at Liverpool.

Upon Jurgen Klopp's arrival on Merseyside in 2015, the former Borussia Dortmund boss immediately set about a significant restructure of the squad he inherited. 

Key to that rebuild were both Mane and Salah, arriving in 2016 and 2017 respectively, and the pair would go on to enjoy glittering success alongside Roberto Firmino as one of the most feared front threes in football.

However, despite collecting a slew of honours together, reports have consistently suggested that Salah and Mane endured a decidedly frosty relationship.

In a recent interview Salah addressed the speculation for the first time, admitting that for all their chemistry on the pitch, their relationship remained strictly professional in the five years they were team-mates.

'Yes, there was tension with Sadio,' the Liverpool talisman told L'Equipe. 

'Mind you, we were professional until the end, I don't think it affected the team. It's human to want more, I understand that, he's a competitor. 

'Off the pitch, we weren't very close, but we always respected each other.'

A book published last year claimed that the relationship between the two continually deteriorated during their time playing together, with an apparent feeling from Mane that his team-mate was 'selfish'.

Speaking on the accusation, Salah insisted that he is not interested in speculation but did point out that he had consistently served as a provider during his time playing with Mane.