Diouf hits out at Gerrard El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Diouf

El Hadji Diouf

LONDON. — El Hadji Diouf has launched another tirade at Steven Gerrard, claiming, in an interview with the BBC, that the former Liverpool captain “never did anything for his country.”

Diouf, who played for Liverpool between 2002 and 2005, has been critical of Gerrard in the past, and has also spoken out against former teammate Jamie Carragher.

Now, Diouf says that while Gerrard may been an integral figure for Liverpool, the 114-time capped international failed to deliver with England.

“I have no problem with him,” the retired Senegal international said. “Gerrard is a strong character and I am a strong character. “’Stevie G’ was a very good player, people like him in Liverpool but he never did anything for his country. “I am Mr El Hadji Diouf, Mr. Senegal, but he is Mr. Liverpool and Senegal is bigger than Liverpool and he has to know that.”

Liverpool signed Diouf from Lens for £10 million prior to an impressive 2002 World Cup campaign with Senegal — where they reached the quarter-finals in the tournament hosted by South Korea and Japan.

“We put Senegal on the world map,” he added. “Before the World Cup nobody knew Senegal, but after the World Cup everybody wanted to know where Senegal was. “What (Diego) Maradona did for his country (Argentina) is what I did for Senegal. I was one of the biggest men at the 2002 World Cup.”

Diouf’s two seasons at Liverpool were unsuccessful and filled with controversy, including one incident in which he spat at Celtic supporters in 2003.

He is the only player in the club’s history who wore the No. 9 shirt to go through an entire season without scoring a goal. But Diouf is a hero in Senegal. Everywhere he goes, he is mobbed by fans both young and old. His countrymen are still grateful for the stellar role he played during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. But in England, he is remembered more for his controversial antics than for his football talent.

It is a trait that followed him in the English league clubs he played for — from Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers to Bolton Wanderers, with a spell for Rangers in Scotland as well.

Diouf was aggressive, spat at opponents and confronted match officials as well as opponents. But now in his retirement, he is telling his story. “I am a lion, I am a bad loser and it’s not wrong to be a bad loser,” said Diouf of his often combative mood during his playing days. “I have got character and I want people to respect me.”

Diouf, who has moved back to the Senegalese capital Dakar, says he was often misunderstood during his playing days in England. He said: “I am an easy target. It’s easy to talk about El Hadji Diouf and I let them talk but I know in my heart I am a good guy. My family know, my population knows, my continent knows I am a good guy and that’s the best thing. The rest is not my problem.”

Despite this defence, Diouf admits he has done some bad things. When asked why, for example, he used to spit at opponents, he said: “Maybe they used to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. I did that, I paid and now it’s finished.”

Diouf is working in Senegal as a government goodwill ambassador. He is President Macky Sall’s adviser on sport as well as running his own sports newspaper business in Dakar — and is often mobbed by young people when he visits his gym in the city.

“My life is about sport but the government cannot do everything alone, they need help from people like me,” Diouf said. “The president believes in me and that’s why when I finished playing football, he called me and told me he wants me to help because the young generation believe in me. I am an example to them.”

Asked if he would consider a role in politics, Diouf said he was concentrating on helping to develop his country – but could not rule out entering politics in future.

He said: “I am interested because we have to make things change. People like me can make things change. “We have a country to build, a continent to build and why not be involved in politics tomorrow?”

Twice presented with the African Footballer of the Year award by the Confederation of African football (Caf), Diouf was part of the Senegal side which reached the last eight at the 2002 World Cup, beating defending champions France along the way.

He describes that period as the greatest achievement of his career — putting it on a par with Maradona’s World Cup-winning achievements with Argentina. — BBC Sport.

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