Martin Skrtel feels he knows why Sadio Mane left Liverpool for Bayern Munich.

The former Reds defender believes Mane was seeking a fresh "challenge".

In an interview with The Athletic, Skrtel said: “It is difficult to leave a club like Liverpool because if you are there, if you're doing well like he was doing, and we can call him legend because of what he achieved in the club, it's brilliant. But I think each player, at a certain stage of his career, has a feeling that you need to change. You need some maybe new motivation, a new challenge.

“After eight and a half years (with Liverpool), I also had that feeling like, 'Oh, maybe I should change something' to find a different kind of experience. I'm pretty sure it wasn't an easy decision for him to leave the club. But he gave his maximum and did really well for the club, and now all you can do is wish him luck.

"If they (Bayern Munich) play in the future against Liverpool, I hope he won't be at his best!"