El-Hadji Diouf is widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s biggest transfer failures. After impressing at the 2002 World Cup—where Senegal upset France and reached the quarter-finals—the winger moved from Lens to Liverpool for around £12 million. However, he underperformed dramatically, scoring just 6 goals in 79 appearances.
To succeed at the club in the mid-2000s, players needed to win over not only the manager but also influential figures like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Diouf failed to do so, leaving a negative mark on both.
Gerrard harshly criticized Diouf in his 2015 autobiography, saying he seemed uninterested in football or the club, citing an incident where Diouf spat at a Celtic fan in a 2003 UEFA Cup match as evidence of his poor attitude. Their animosity escalated to a near-physical altercation in the dressing room during a pre-season friendly, as recalled by former teammate Florent Sinama-Pongolle: Gerrard demanded better passing, Diouf reacted angrily (with language barriers complicating things), and insults flew via manager Gerard Houllier as translator.
The feud persisted long after. Following Gerrard’s retirement, Diouf appeared on SFR Sport and disparaged both Gerrard and Carragher, claiming he “touched” the “untouchable” players at Liverpool, showed Gerrard he was “nothing special,” and questioned his major tournament legacy. When co-guest Emmanuel Petit defended Gerrard by referencing the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul—but stumbled on the year—Diouf mocked him, saying even Petit couldn’t remember it properly and contrasting it with France’s World Cup win. Petit firmly interjected: “I cannot let you say that about Steven Gerrard—he was an incredible player.” Diouf clarified he respected Gerrard as a player but not as a person, alleging special treatment, snitching by others, direct confrontations, and that Gerrard avoided eye contact while Diouf spoke his mind. He also noted Gerrard once requested his Senegal shirt for a friend.
Despite this, Gerrard is celebrated as a Premier League legend with 11 major trophies and a third-place finish in the 2005 Ballon d’Or. Diouf won only two more trophies post-Liverpool, both with Rangers in 2011.
The bad blood resurfaced in October 2025 during Gerrard’s interview on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, where he slammed Liverpool’s recruitment for signing Diouf over Nicolas Anelka (previously on loan at Anfield), calling it one of the club’s biggest mistakes and a clear “mismatch.”
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