Sadio Mane warned his Liverpool teammates about Ismaila Sarr's quality back in August, six months before his fellow Senegalese ended the Reds' unbeaten Premier League season.
Watford's Sarr scored twice at Vicarage Road on Saturday as Watford ensured Liverpool slipped to a defeat for the first time this season, and a first time in 45 league matches.
Troy Deeney added a third as the the relegation-threatened Hornets earned a dominant 3-0 win, but it was Sarr who really caught the eye as he bagged a brace.
The 22-year-old joined Watford for a club record fee of £30million from Rennes in the summer, and Mane tipped him to be a future Premier League star.
“The first day he signed I sent him a message to say good luck and that I was happy for him,” Mane told The Athletic in August shortly after Sarr joined Watford .
“He’s rapid. I think defenders will struggle. Last time I was speaking to Robbo (Andy Robertson) I said ‘ Watford have a really good player. I will need to help you more otherwise Ismaila Sarr will kill you, because he is a good dribbler and very, very fast'."
Mane was filed chatting to Sarr in the Anfield tunnel after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Watford in December, and he has also spoken of himself as something of a father figure for the winger.
“I’m really happy for him and he made the right choice to come to Watford. For sure I think he will be great," he continued.
“I feel I need to protect him at the beginning because even though he is a really good player it is not easy in the Premier League, because I had that sort of problem,” he said.
“If there are problems to start off with then people need to take care of him, go easy on him and especially the fans need to support him and give him confidence for a great future.”
