Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf remains Liverpool's only number 9 in history to go a full season without finding the back of the net, but that hasn't prevented him from incessantly insulting his former captain Steven Gerrard for the past seven or eight years.
Diouf has, over time, become obsessed with the Anfield icon, using most media opportunities - be they in France, England or elsewhere - to spit insults at Gerrard, who retired from football yesterday.
In Gerrard's 2015 autobiography, he questioned Diouf's commitment to both Liverpool and the sport in general, adding further fuel to the fire. Diouf's comments on French tv channel SFR Sport yesterday, however, prove the former Blackburn and Bolton striker's issues are far more deep-seeded than Gerrard's remarks last year.
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.
When former Arsenal and France midfielder Emmannuel Petit (himself no stranger to somewhat contrarian views) interjected, mentioning 'that' Champions League final in Istanbul, Diouf persisted with his theory based on the fact that Petit had forgotten the year Liverpool had beaten AC Milan on penalties in what was arguably the most memorable Champions League final of all time:
Here is the proof, even you cannot remember.
You are talking about Euros and World Cup. Today I owe you respect [Petit], I owe respect to Mr Zidane because you did win the World Cup.
Petit reiterated that Diouf couldn't speak about a player of Gerrard's magnitude in such a manner, but Diouf - seizing his moment - continued his attack, eventually, after years of talking bollocksology, reaching the root of his issue with the Liverpool legend:
I repeat. I respect the player, very big player, but the man, I do not respect. And I told him, I let him know that.
With all my respect I let him know. For me in Liverpool, he was not just a player like anyone else. He had to work and play his football as I had to work and play my football.
Then as you know, there were some brown-nosers, who went to the manager to repeat what I said. That was the real problem. When Gerrard did that, we had an argument, like real men.
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 could not, 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.
So there you have it, the real problem was that Gerrard told then-Liverpool manager Gerard Houlier that Diouf was acting the berk, and Diouf is still upset.
Amusingly, earlier in the interview, Petit asked Diouf to clarify if it was only Gerrard with whom he had a problem. Diouf responded:
Stevie G and Jamie Carragher, the two scousers.
Last year, Carragher named Diouf as the worst Liverpool player he had ever played alongside.
[Independent]
