Liverpool ace Sadio Mane is full of praise for fellow striker Roberto Firmino.

Jurgen Klopp's men have netted 44 goals in all competitions this term, with Mohamed Salah notching 15 and Mane's strike against Brighton taking him to seven in 13 games.

Firmino has six after his hat-trick at Watford a fortnight ago, but Mane believes the Brazilian's contribution goes far beyond just finding the back of the net.

"I think that is part of football, where people always speak about the players who are scoring the goals but I have always said - and I will say it again - that without Firmino we wouldn't be the same," said Mane, speaking to the official Liverpool matchday programme.

"In the five years I have been playing with him you can see how many passes and how many assists he has provided and then you can look at his defensive work for us too and his work between the lines to make the space for us to make everything easier. So I think he is unbelievable.

"We know ourselves how good Bobby is and how important he is for us but it's sometimes only after a hat-trick that more people will talk. But certainly within the squad we know that he is one of the best players in the world."