Tributes have been pouring in after Steven Gerrard announced his retirement, but that has not stopped El Hadji Diouf from taking another shot at the former Liverpool captain
The Senegalese footballer who spent two seasons at Liverpool from 2002-2004 – and is famously the only Liverpool number 9 in history to go an entire season without scoring a single goal – was no stranger to controversy during his time in England.
While at Liverpool, he was accused of spitting at fans several times and was even fined by the club for spitting at Celtic fans during a televised UEFA Champions League game. The offence also led to a two-match ban from UEFA.
Since leaving Liverpool, Diouf has constantly criticised the club, the fans and most of his former teammates. He has repeatedly also criticised another Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, not hesitating to use abusive language when describing his former teammate.
It is Gerrard that has repeatedly received the most criticism from the former Liverpool forward, however.
Diouf previously has previously blamed Mario Balotelli’s Liverpool failure on Steven Gerrard, and did not hesitate to stick the knife in when Gerrard infamously slipped to gift Chelsea a goal in the 2013-14 season, a moment that has been universally attributed to Liverpool’s eventual failure to win the Premier League title.
Not one to show dignity, Diouf has now continued his attack on Gerrard despite the latter announcing his retirement, news which was almost universally met with tributes to the legendary midfielder.
According to the Daily Mail, Diouf had this to say when asked about Gerrard :
‘When I arrived I showed him he was nothing at all. He was nothing at all. I asked him to tell me in which big competition, Euros or World Cup, people think about him.’
‘I respect the player, very big player, but the man, I do not respect. And I told him, I let him know that.’ he said.
‘That is why he does not like me. He knows I say what I think, that when it is not right, no problem, I am up for it.’
‘He was afraid of looking into my eyes. He was afraid of talking to me. Let’s not forget when I arrived I did not ask for his shirt. He asked for my Senegal shirt for one of his mates.’
Diouf is also now retired, with the only major honour he won in his career being the Scottish Premier League in 2011, while on loan at Rangers.
