Diouf belittles former Liverpool colleague Gerrard

El Hadji Diouf has aimed another swipe at former teammate Steven Gerrard, claiming his international achievements place him above the Liverpool legend.

Two-time African footballer of the year Diouf, who helped Senegal reach the last eight of the 2002 World Cup, has, for many moons, been embroiled in a long-standing row with ‘Stevie G’, and is never shy of firing a barb in the ex-England captain’s direction.

Forward Diouf, who now works as a government goodwill ambassador in Senegal while also running his own sports newspaper business in Dakar, has reignited the feud in an interview with BBC Africa.

The 36-year-old said: “I have no problem with him. He is a strong character and I am a strong character.

“’Stevie G’ was a very good player. People like him in Liverpool but he never did anything for his country.

“I am Mr El Hadji Diouf – Mr Senegal – but he is Mr Liverpool and Senegal is bigger than Liverpool, and he has to know that.”

Senegal beat defending champions France during their successful 2002 World Cup campaign and Diouf, who also played for Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, puts his exploits for the Lions of Teranga on par with those of Argentinian icon Diego Maradona.

“We put Senegal on the world map. Before the World Cup, nobody knew Senegal, but after the World Cup, everybody wanted to know where Senegal was,” said Diouf.

(PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images)

“What Maradona did for his country is what I did for Senegal. I was one of the biggest men at the 2002 World Cup.”