Though not much, ten years can be enough to alter someone is destiny. That is the tale of Sadio Mane, a superstar with enough money to purchase shoes for 15 million people in his native Senegal, who fled his home ten years ago and did not have a decent pair of shoes.

A journalist visited Metz, the French second division team, in the early 2010s. A player there drew particular notice by bowing in Japanese way before everyone else. And he asked the reporter if he might snap a picture to email to his mother as soon as he noticed the camera.

Naturally so. He had never taken a picture in Europe. The reporter next requested an email address to submit pictures. After some thought, he declared he did not have an email address and provided the club’s. I do not have to pay for it, right? he questioned hesitantly while the reporter was occupied taking notes.

Sadio Mane had just landed in Europe at the time from impoverished rural Senegal. He was broke and everything seemed bizarre.

The first picture of Sadio Mane taken in Europe.

‏ Mane was still living in Bambali, a little town far to the south of Senegal, not too long ago. Nobody plays football here. Either because life is tough and they have to spend the most of their time looking for food, or because there is no TV to watch.

Mane’s parents’ desire for him to excel in school makes perfect sense given that he would eventually aspire to become an Imam, or officiant at the village mosque, like his father. They always discuss dumb people who choose to play football and then struggle to lead good lives at every meal.

Mane has just one interest: football. As he stated, “I knew I would become a football player from the time I was 3 or 4 years old.” And the school held a football tournament, which was the only thing that piqued his interest in attending. But Mane was a restless student in school, waiting for the bell to ring so he could sprint to the open field in the hamlet to play football.

Sadio Mane is a devout man, and would have become an Imam if he had not become a footballer.

Mane’s passion is so great that, if he doesn’t have to go to school, except for a little time to sleep, he spends all his time on football. There wasn’t even any space for bathing. When someone complains about why they always stink? Mane replied: “Oh, wait until you’re famous then you can take a bath.”

One day, Mane told his parents about his intention to drop out of school to focus on football. They said he was crazy. After that, he ignored it because he thought it was just an impulsive moment for his son. To pursue football, the only way is to go to the capital Dakar. But Dakar is too far.

But Mane is not joking. One day, he secretly threw a few clothes into his pocket and waited until evening, hiding in the weeds in front of the house. Early the next morning, around 6 a.m., without even brushing my teeth or taking a shower, I started packing my bags and leaving.

Mane is a symbol of achieving success through steadfast pursuit of his dream.

Without money, Mane had to walk for a long time. It wasn’t until he met a close friend that he asked for some money to catch a bus to Dakar. Upon arriving, Mane stayed at a stranger’s house and went to a training center, competing with 300 other boys.

Mane was greeted by laughter. That’s right because Mane doesn’t look like a person ready to play football, with wrinkled pants that are neither pants nor shorts and tattered shoes, the sole and toe of which are fixed together with nylon straps.

The laughter fell silent as Mane played. The coaches were convinced immediately. Mane’s adventure officially begins.

Meanwhile, back home, his parents looked for Mane everywhere. After turning everything around, Bambali still couldn’t find him. They remembered his close friend, put pressure and asked him. Finally there’s the answer. His parents took a bus to Dakar with the intention of dragging their stubborn child back.

Now Mane can laugh out loud about his reckless decision to leave home.

Feeling extremely embarrassed if he returned to Bambali as a failure, Mane asked him to stay until the training ended. Too bad, my parents reluctantly agreed. And they were wrong, because during that time, Metz (France) discovered and brought Mane to Europe.

Looking back a decade later, Mane is probably surprised that he went so far. After Metz, he went to Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Southampton (England) and now Liverpool (England). 2019 was a memorable year, when Mane became European champion and won the 2018/19 Premier League Golden Boot. Also in the 2019 calendar year, Mane scored 39 goals (30 goals and 9 assists), more than Mohamed Salah and other teammates at Liverpool.

In football, success always comes with money. And when they have money, many players are tempted by a life of luxury and pleasure. Mane is different. He just needs a house to live in and a car to drive.

After 10 years, Mane turned his family’s tattered hut into a huge house.

“Why do I have to have 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond-encrusted watches or several airplanes? It doesn’t make me happier. I was poorly educated, deprived of everything, had to work in the fields and play barefoot soccer.

Today, with those legs, I have everything. But I don’t need luxury cars, big houses and other flashy items. Now is the time to help people. I like to share my good life with people who are still struggling.

So I built schools, stadiums, brought clothes, shoes, food, even provided 70 euros (about 1.8 million VND) per month to hungry people,” Mane confided.

A truly admirable thought. And in the next 10 years, Mane will definitely be a legend, and many other Manes will appear thanks to his own efforts.

Let’s wait and see.