Mamadou Sakho is recalling his youth in the Parisian district of Goutte d’Or, the memories he has of sleeping rough and approaching strangers on the street for spare change.
There were times when hunger would hit because he could not afford to buy bread. Other times when coldness would take over as he searched for a spot to spend the night.
One memory stands out from when he was very young. ‘I was in the street, asking for coins, and one woman I asked pulled her bags close to her, like I would rob her,’ Sakho says, mimicking the action.
Defender Mamadou Sakho strikes a pose during an exclusive interview with Sportsmail
‘It shocked me. I just wanted some coins to buy bread but she thought I would rob her. I made a promise to myself. From that day, I said, “Look, today I am hungry and she thinks I will do something bad. But me, when I become someone, when I have something, I will give back”.
‘I know what hunger is. I know what cold is. I used to ask for coins so I could eat. It was my life when I was young. I don’t like to talk about it because I’m proud, you know?
‘We all have our own stories. My personal life story put me in this mood — to give back. When you have a little bit of popularity, you can use it in a positive way. That’s what I’m trying to do.
‘I don’t want to be an example to people. Never. I just want to inspire. Everyone grew up with his or her own story. This is mine. My story helped me become who I am and how I see life.’
True to his word, the Crystal Palace defender is building his own orphanage in Tamba, Senegal, where his late father was from. ‘I will call it Souleymane Sakho,’ he continues. ‘My dad’s name.
The Crystal Palace star told Sportsmail's Kieran Gill about his difficult childhood in Paris
‘I knew I would become a footballer when I was 13, the day I lost my dad. I had family responsibilities on my shoulders straightaway. I became a man. For me, it was not an objective to become a footballer. It was an obligation.
‘Someone asked me yesterday whether it was hard to become Paris Saint-Germain captain at 17. I said to him, “The hardest captaincy I had in my life was to be the captain of my family at 13”.’
Followers of Sakho’s Instagram will see him wearing Versace clothing and driving a Rolls-Royce, though this is a misleading portrayal. Behind those designer shades are the eyes of a 29-year-old who has seen it all.
Sitting in a darkened back room of Palace’s training ground and wearing a light grey Puma tracksuit, Sakho is coolness personified. He has a swagger about him but is also funny, happy and eager to ensure our photographer gets the shot he is after.
Sakho has just finished training and is generous with his time, too, never sneaking a glance at the golden Hublot watch on his wrist. He wants to paint us a picture of what makes him tick.
Sakho has memories of sleeping rough and approaching strangers for spare change
His childhood was hectic. He had three brothers and three sisters and, as well as his time on the streets, bounced from home to home in Paris. ‘Eight or 10 places,’ he estimates.
Through it all, though, Sakho never lost his passion for football. Being a fighter is in his DNA — he likens himself to a ‘soldier’ during this interview — and he played whenever he could.
PSG, long before they became the giants of the game they are today, spotted and signed him at the age of 12. He went on to become their youngest captain before earning a call-up for the France squad and moving to Liverpool in 2013.
Yet in 2016, his career took an unexpected
