Diouf reignites Gerrard feud

Controversial ex-Senegalese international El
Hadji Diouf on Monday reignited his long
running feud with former Liverpool teammate
Steven Gerrard by declaring the England icon
was a failure for his country.
Diouf, who spent an unsuccessful spell at
Liverpool which prompted Gerrard to criticise
him in his autobiography 10 years ago and
sparked the war of words, told the BBC Gerrard
was a very good player but for his club not his
country.
The two-time African Footballer of the Year, who
then spent further mediocre spells with other
British clubs like Leeds United, Rangers and
Bolton, said by comparison he is ‘Mr Senegal’
“I have no problem with him. He is a strong
character and I am a strong character,” the 36-
year-old said.
“‘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,” added Diouf,
who was a member of the Senegal side that
reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals but
also was banned by his own federation for five
years in 2011 although that was later reduced.
The feud between Diouf and Gerrard began when
the latter, who was capped 114 times but never
won a trophy, wrote he “wasn’t Diouf’s number
1 fan”.
“I knew which players were hungry, which
players had Liverpool at heart. Diouf was just
interested in himself. His attitude was all
wrong,” said Gerrard.