El Hadji Diouf has made the astonishing admission that his choice to join Liverpool was the wrong decision for his career.
The former Senegal international joined the Reds in 2002 following a string of impressive performances at the 2002 World Cup as well as his fine form for Ligue 1 outfit Lens.
What went wrong for Diouf at Liverpool? Five key things to know…
- Diouf joined Liverpool in 2002 from French side Lens for a reported £10m.
- The Senegal international spent two seasons with the Reds before joining Bolton on loan, eventually making his move permanent a year later.
- Diouf’s time at Liverpool was embroiled by controversy and the forward built up a bad reputation.
- And now, Diouf has admitted he regrets joining Liverpool, wishing he had answered other offers instead.
- El Hadji Diouf scored six goals in 80 games for Liverpool but was booked 19 times and sent off twice.
However, Diouf’s spell on Merseyside was largely marred by controversy – notably the infamous spitting incident against Celtic in 2003 – as well as a perceived negative attitude and a lack of discipline, having picked up 13 yellow cards and one red card during the 2003/04 season.
Sixteen years on from his initial move to Anfield, the 37-year-old has now disclosed his regret in joining the club, while further insisting that he had the option to join either Premier League rivals Manchester United or Barcelona prior to his move to Anfield.
In an interview on RMC’s Footisme (via GetFrenchFootballNews), Diouf said: “I can say today that the shirt that I regret wearing the most was Liverpool’s, because if I were to do that part of my career again, I would have gone to FC Barcelona or Manchester United.
“At the time, they wanted me too.”
Diouf has a proven track record for not holding back when it comes verbal confrontation, and his most-recent outburst has come as the latest instalment in an extensive list of heated public exchanges between himself and his former club.
The ex-Blackburn Rovers forward has previously labelled club legend Jamie Carragher a “f*****g loser” in a foul-mouthed rant two years ago, while also stating that he does not respect Steven Gerrard as a man off the field.
Diouf on Merseyside
Signed for £10m by then-manager Gerard Houllier, Diouf became just the second ever Senegalese to join Liverpool after international teammate Salif Diao agreed to terms with the club just before the 2002 World Cup.
The early signs of Diouf’s career as a Red were promising with the Dakar-born forward bagging a brace on his home debut against Southampton, and he would mark his maiden campaign by playing in 46 games across all competitions, including a starting berth in the 2003 Football League Cup Final victory against Man Utd.
Having made a positive start, the following season would prove to be one of turmoil for Diouf as he failed to find the back of the net once in 33 appearances and was reduced to just fleeting cameo appearances.
With his position in the starting XI under serious threat, Diouf subsequently left Liverpool for Bolton Wanderers in 2004, ending his tenure on Merseyside with 80 appearances, six goals and four assists.
The post “I regret joining Liverpool” – El Hadji Diouf wishes he signed for Barcelona or Man Utd appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2BTGYFL
No comments:
Post a Comment