Victor Wanyama has made an audacious claim that when he was at St Mary's Sadio Mane thought that other players would not pass to him, but there is something that doesn't quite ring true about Wanyama's claims.

Speaking to sports and entertainment tv channel Madgoat, Wanyama makes these claims about his time at Southampton.

Firstly he article claims that the two African footballers were part of Mauricio Pochettino's side at St Mary's Stadium and the Kenyan skipper has revealed how the Senegalese forward approached him for a deal that would have helped him score more goals.

“We were like a family under one father [Mauricio] Pochettino but I and Mane forged a bigger brotherhood bond but [Morgan] Schneiderlin was also a great friend,” claimed Wanyama.

“At one point, Mane approached me and told me 'hi man, these guys do not want to pass the ball to me, can the two of us play closely. They do not want me to score.' I reluctantly agreed and anytime I got the ball I would pass it to him though.

“I wanted to treat him right since he is a good and nice guy.”

That is all well and good but Mauricio Pochettino had left the club in May 2014 that was almost four months before Sadio Mane arrived signing on 1st September later than year.

Mane never played under Pochettino and the two played together for two seasons under Ronald Koeman.

Back at the time there was no hint that any of Mane's team mates were refusing to pass to him, and Wanyama fails to mention when that period was, yes Mane had an arrogant streak in him, but his team mates were professional footballers in what were our two most successful League seasons in thirty years, we didn't achieve that with petty dressing room squabbles on the pitch.

I don't remember Wanyama providing many assists for Mane !

Wanyama's last season though was tainted when he wanted to move to Spurs to follow Pochettino but Saints refused to sell resulting in the player not travelling to Denmark for the Europa League game against Midtjylland, a game that Saints lost and went out of the competition, nor appearing in the league game against Norwich, before knuckling down and in fairness putting in a reasonable season.

Wanyama was sold in the summer of 2016, but his time at Spurs was not that successful, in four season he started only 47 Premier League games plus another 22 as sub, far less than at St Mary's in only three seasons. He was an unused sub in the Champions League final of 2019, but by then he was a bit part player, starting only 4 games in the Premier League plus another 9 as sub.

Spurs tried to sell him to Club Brugge in August 2019 for £13, million but he didn't want to move and he finally left on a free back in March.

Still only 28 he joined Montreal Impact an MLS club, a big step down for a player who should really still be playing at the top level, ironically on his debut he provided an assist for Saphir Taïder who he was briefly a teammate with at St Mary's in August 2014.

It seems now that Wanyama is willing to tell a few stories even when the dates don't add up, this is a modern trait in the game, players always want to put themselves in a good light, Wanyama has conveniently missed out the issues he had at Saints in order to get headlines with a story on Sadio Mane, both left Saints at the same time, both their career's went in opposite directions.

Wanyama was the one we all thought would succeed, Mane who would be a bit hit and miss, it seems one had the attitude to play at the very top after all and one didn't.

Photo: Action Images

Jesus_02 added 12:19 - May 20 I have no doubt that Mane would have said that at some point because he was younger , more hungry and a bit arrogant. Things that have made him the player that he was. I also think if there was anyone that players where instructed not avoid passing to it would have been Vic. Great a breaking up play and pretty decent pass completion as long as it was to Morgan who was only 5yrds away. Great times though :)

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wessexman added 12:23 - May 20 Not quite sure why Wanyama feels the need to put the boot in. He is one of many players who forced a move away by "dubious" behaviour? I seem to remember Wanyama being sent off 3 times in 11 games in his last season at Southampton. Hardly an asset to the team. I am sure the vast majority of Saints fan will read it and digest it for what it is worth.
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NewburySaint added 12:29 - May 20 What a p@&*s. And let’s be honest Wanyama would be 1 of the last players on that team you would want to ask for passes from!
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underweststand added 09:28 - May 23 Whilst Wanyama was a considerable force in midfield, I recall that his record of passing to his own team mates was abysmal. His three red cards (mentioned by wessexman above ) was the worst example of irresponsibility by anyone who has worn a Saints shirt. Mane struggled in his first season ane one contributor on fansite likened him to Ali Dia (!) Yes- he had an arrogance about him, but we need star players who can turn it on, and his " hat-trick game" created a record that may never be surpassed. A lot of what goes on / is said in the dressing room often reflects itself on the pitch , but in time we all saw what an on-form Mane was capable of, but it did take time to emerge. No-one can guess what Wanyama's motive was in making these comments, but he wanted a move away and got it..the rest was his fault.

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