Tottenham star Yves Bissouma says two Liverpool legends were his ‘idols’

Tottenham star Yves Bissouma says two Liverpool legends Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were his ‘idols’

Tottenham Hotspur’s Yves Bissouma has admitted that he used to idolise Liverpool legends Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah when he was plying his trade in France.

Salah and Mane, more than any other players, have come to symbolise the Reds’ rapid rise and dominance under Jurgen Klopp. Hailing from Mail, Bissouma said he was watching these players on a regular basis in France.

Bissouma joined LOSC Lille Metropole in March 2016 and spent over two years at the French club before making a move to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2018. This is where he truly made a name for himself, catching the attention of several top clubs in the process.

Bissouma recalled his first game in Brighton’s starting XI, when he faced Liverpool at Anfield in gameweek 3 of the 2018-19 Premier League season. He played 80 minutes as the Seagulls lost 1-0 away from home.

Biss makes Liverpool admission

Recalling that match, Bissouma told Tottenham’s official YouTube channel:

“During that match [Brighton vs Liverpool] I came out of the locker room and I saw [Virgil] van Dijk, I saw [Sadio] Mane, I saw [Mohamed Salah]. These were the guys I saw on TV when I was in France, and now I was in the same tunnel going up against them, it was like a dream, do you know what I mean? Mane and Salah were my idols, and I just thought ‘woah’. My heart was beating fast.”

Given his affection towards the Reds, it wasn’t a surprise that he was linked with a move to Anfield in the summer of 2021. But no move materialised, and that ship may have sailed given the Reds have signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer.

Moreover, and more importantly, Bissouma has found his move in north London at Tottenham. Spurs paid £25million for him last year and while he struggled in his debut season under Antonio Conte, he has been sensational under Ange Postecoglou.

It is safe to say he has become one of our best players during that time. He is a big reason why we were able to navigate the period without Rodrigo Bentancur this season and why Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been restricted to the bench.

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At 27, Biss is in the prime of his playing career. A couple of good seasons and a trophy here can really make him the idol for players playing outside England and dreaming of a move to the PL like he was once… if they aren’t already. He has, after all, achieved a lot already.