Following defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Liverpool striker Sadio Mane was pictured visiting his Senegal hometown at the weekend.
And while it was reported the Premier League ace was visiting Bambali to check on construction projects he has kindly funded, there may have been another reason the 27-year-old returned home.
Mane has shown incredible generosity to the people of his village, not only has he built a hospital and a mosque but the forward recently donated over £240,000 for a secondary school to be constructed.
The Champions League winner received a hero's welcome as he was in town to check up on the two-storey building's progress.
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Speaking ahead of the 2018 final against Real Madrid, Mane revealed his dreams of returning home with a winners' medal to show the 2,000 strong population.
Mane admitted: "If you had said then I would be playing the final I would say it is something incredible in my life. Hopefully we are going to win.
"My family still live in the village. My mum and my uncle. They are all going to be watching.
"There are 2,000 in the village. I bought 300 Liverpool jerseys to send to the people in the village, so the fans can wear to watch the final.
"Nobody in the village will work this day. I will be going back in the summer after the World Cup and hopefully I will be showing everyone a [winners’] medal."
The Senegal international wasn't able to return home with a medal last summer, despite scoring against Los Blancos in Kiev, Liverpool lost 3-1.
But the Reds returned seeking revenge as they powered their way to European success in Spain.
It is not known if Mane had his winners' medal in his possession as he toured the streets of Bambali, but the goalscorer was greeted in heroic fashion as though it was draped around him.
