Diouf reignites war of words following Gerrard retirement

Mark Scott
Steven Gerrard and El Hadji Diouf: Come to blows

El-Hadji Diouf has hit out at Steven Gerrard following his retirement from football, claiming that he showed the former Liverpool captain that he was “nothing at all”.

Since playing together at Anfield it is safe to say the pair haven’t seen eye-to-eye with a war of words raging on for the past couple of years.

In his 2015 autobiography, Gerrard said that the Senegal international “did not care about football and about Liverpool”.

And Diouf has had the latest say on their time as team-mates, insisting that he has no respect for Gerrard as a man.

Speaking on French television, Diouf said: “People told me at Liverpool, there were some guys you could not touch, but I touched them.

“That is why it is complicated for me.”

Emmanuel Petit, who joined Diouf on the TV show, asked: “Are you talking about Steven Gerrard?”

Diouf replied: “I do. Stevie G and Jamie Carragher. The two scousers.

“When I arrived I showed him he was nothing at all. Nothing at all.”

Petit then defended the former Liverpool skipper, saying: “I cannot let you say that about Steven Gerrard, he was an immense player.”

To which Diouf hit back again: “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.”