El-Hadji Diouf’s scathing critique of Steven Gerrard met with Emmanuel Petit’s intervention
When recalling Liverpool’s worst signings, one name almost always surfaces: El-Hadji Diouf. The winger gained fame during the 2002 World Cup while playing for Senegal, a team that stunned the footballing world with their impressive performances. Following his success, Liverpool splashed around £12 million to secure Diouf’s services from French side Lens, with high hopes for his Anfield career.
However, the Senegalese international failed to live up to expectations, leaving fans bitterly disappointed. Over 79 appearances, Diouf managed a mere six goals, making him a subject of widespread criticism.
What further exacerbated his situation was his troubled relationship with Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Gerrard, in his autobiography, expressed his belief that Diouf lacked commitment to football and the club. The situation escalated when, in 2016, on the day of Gerrard’s retirement announcement, Diouf launched a scathing attack on the Anfield icon during a French TV interview on SFR Sport.
Diouf claimed that he didn’t shy away from confronting Gerrard and Carragher, challenging their status at the club. He asserted that he believed Gerrard was not as significant a player as others perceived him to be in big competitions like the Euros or World Cup. The interview took a contentious turn when Emmanuel Petit, the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder, attempted to defend Gerrard by recalling the 2005 Champions League final. However, Diouf capitalized on Petit’s uncertainty about the year of the final, using it as an opportunity to ridicule Gerrard further.
Diouf maintained that he respected Gerrard as a player but not as a person, making it clear that their relationship was marked by clashes and disagreements. He attributed the tension to his direct and straightforward nature, which Gerrard seemingly found intimidating. The Senegalese player also recounted an incident where Gerrard had asked for his Senegal shirt for a friend, implying that the request was an attempt to curry favor.
Not just Gerrard, but Diouf also didn’t shy away from taking jabs at Jamie Carragher. In 2019, he commented on beIN Sports that Carragher’s success was due to his local Scouser identity, claiming he had “two left feet” and wouldn’t have achieved the same career height if he were not a Liverpool native.
Despite carving a role as a goodwill ambassador for the Senegalese government, Diouf’s tumultuous relationship with Liverpool and its revered players ensures that he will not be remembered fondly at Anfield. The legacy of El-Hadji Diouf remains as a cautionary tale of a once-promising talent who couldn’t find harmony within the ranks of one of England’s most iconic clubs.