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.