According to reports, Steven Gerrard has now been termed as a “racist” by former Liverpool teammate El Hadji Diouf, who responded to a stinging attack on the Senegal international in the former England international’s autobiography. Diouf and Gerrard were teammates at Anfield between 2002 and 2005, with the 34-year old forward having a reputation as an explosive player back then.
Diouf had a tally of six goals to his name for the Merseyside giants, but his spell at the club was better remembered for an incident, which saw him get a two match ban eventually along with a fine of his two weeks’ wages for spitting at a Celtic fan during a Uefa Cup tie in March 2003.
Gerrard has now mentioned in his autobiography, My Story, that he liked the former Senegal international the least, during his 17 seasons with the Reds.
His book mentions, according to the Daily Mail, “I don’t really want to waste time thinking about El Hadji Diouf but it’s worth highlighting his wasted seasons at Liverpool as an example of how it can all go wrong. We had finished as runners-up to Manchester United the season before and a combination of Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou was supposed to drive us to the title. It was probably the biggest waste of £18m in Liverpool’s history.”
“We finished the season in fifth place and Diouf had sealed his place at the top of the list of Liverpool signings I liked least. It seemed to me that Diouf had no real interest in football and that he cared nothing about Liverpool. For example, the way he spat a huge globule of gunky phlegm at a Celtic fan in a Uefa Cup match at Parkhead in March 2003 summed up his contemptuous and spiteful demeanour.”
“A few people have since asked me if I saw any comparison between Diouf and Mario Balotelli – and I’ve always said no. I’ve got respect for Balotelli; I’ve got none for Diouf.”
This criticism has now forced a response in which the forward has stated that Gerrard “never liked black people”, which is a major accusation on such a highly decorated player.
Diouf told Senegalese radio station Radio Future Media, according to Le10 Sport, “We all saw how he made life difficult for Mario Balotelli in Liverpool.”
“I warned him. Liverpool are not a team that welcomes black unless they are British. Otherwise, you have no chance. This is common knowledge.”
“Gerrard has never liked black people. When I was in Liverpool, I showed him that I was black, I’m not English, but I will not let him walk all over me. All the time I spent there, he never dared to look me in the eye.”
“Gerrard is just jealous. What I have done in football, he did not. When I came to Liverpool, I came up with the status of boss and he lives there. I am respected in world football, the greatest football experts have appointed me among the seven best players in the World Cup, the top 100 players of the century. Several big players do not belong. Everywhere I go out of my country, they worship me. [Gerrard], wherever he goes outside his city of Liverpool, will be insulted.”