Ex Liverpool player John Barnes hails former player Sadio Mane as the ‘speed’ king in his perfect Premier League footballer
John Barnes has been busy crafting his version of the perfect footballer with MailSport, blending the best attributes of players past and present.
When it came to the question of who he would choose for pace, the Liverpool legend had no hesitation in turning to one of the former Reds’ most explosive attackers
“ Sadio Mane.”
The Premier League only began officially tracking top speeds in the 2020/21 season, and it has since become a measure of who the fastest players in the league are. Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven earned the title last season with a staggering sprint of 37.38km/h. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai wasn’t far behind, reaching 36.76km/h in a clash against Wolves in 2023.
Defenders dreaded facing Mane because he could change the tempo of an attack in an instant. One moment he would be drifting on the wing, the next he would explode into space, leaving opponents chasing shadows. Crucially, he used that pace defensively too, racing back to help his full-backs and turning defence into attack in seconds.
Mane’s speed was not just a spectacle it delivered results. Across six seasons at Liverpool, he never failed to score at least 10 Premier League goals, highlighting his reliability. His standout campaign came in 2018/19, when he netted 22 league goals, sharing the Golden Boot and helping Jürgen Klopp’s side push Manchester City all the way in an epic title race.
On top of his scoring ability, Mane regularly chipped in with assists. His ability to both finish and create chances made him one of the most complete forwards in Europe during his Anfield years.
Long before Liverpool, Mane had already proven his place in the record books. During his time at Southampton, he wrote himself into Premier League history with the fastest ever hat-trick, scoring three goals in just two minutes and 56 seconds against Aston Villa in 2015. That remarkable feat broke Robbie Fowler’s long-standing record and remains unmatched to this day.
It was a glimpse of the devastating pace and clinical finishing that Liverpool would later enjoy and that defences across Europe would come to fear.
Even now, at 33 years old, Mane remains a force. Currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, he lines up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in one of the most high-profile attacking partnerships outside of Europe.
His big-money deal runs until next summer, at which point Mane will decide whether to continue in Saudi Arabia or seek a new challenge elsewhere.
Whatever the future holds, his legacy is secure. At Liverpool, he won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup, forming a legendary front three with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. His pace was central to that success, tearing defences apart and setting the tone for Klopp’s high-octane style of play.
Barnes’ decision to include Mane as the “speed” component of his perfect Premier League player underlines just how highly he is regarded.
