'Before becoming a footballer I slept rough and stole'

It is easy to think of life as a footballer as completely rosy, but Sakho's childhood was anything but as he fought poverty and homelessness on the way to achieving his dream.

"I had quite a difficult life when I was young, but those hard moments helped me to grow up and be the man who I am today," Sakho said of his journey from the streets of Paris to the Premier League.

"Nobody can tell me that I don't know what it's like to not have food in the fridge, or nobody can tell me what cold is outside, to sleep outside or to ask for some coins, or to rob just to eat some food, because it was my life when I was young. It was my real life."

When asked about the impact those experiences had on his character, Sakho said that they had helped him become a more rounded person.

"I would say it helped me to have quite a good mentality, a strong mentality," he explained. "It's why I always said to myself, when I'm someone one day, I will give back ... because I know what it is it not to eat before sleep for a few days. Though I always say I never talk about it because I'm proud.

"I would say football helped me to change my family life. With football I learned to give back. To give a lot of pleasure. When I am on the pitch I give everything for the fans.

"For me this is the key for success. Just to touch your dream you have to work hard. You can't just wake up and say I want to be a professional footballer or any other job."

During his time at PSG, Sakho set up Amsak, a charity that undertakes work in France, England and Africa.

"So Amsak means Association Mamadou Sakho. I started my association when I was 18 or 19, when I was in PSG ... I think it's important to go in Africa and help people here in the UK," he explained.

"When I was in Liverpool [I] went to a few places, in a hospital to speak with the kids and to give what I could give."