How Kevin Nolan used to rinse El Hadji Diouf for being worst striker in Liverpool history
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Former Bolton Wanderers skipper Kevin Nolan has revealed that he would jokingly remind ex-teammate El Hadji Diouf that he was the "worst number nine" in Liverpool history.
Then-Liverpool boss Gérard Houllier signed Diouf from Lens for £10 million prior to an impressive 2002 World Cup campaign with Senegal - where they reached the quarter-finals in the tournament.
The controversial forward was the striker Houllier hoped would take the Premier League title from Manchester United, after Liverpool had finished in second place the previous season.
However, Diouf's two seasons at Merseyside were unsuccessful and filled with controversy, including one incident in which he spat at Glasgow Celtic supporters in 2003.
Diouf even sensationally went the entire of the 2003/04 season without scoring a single goal - leading to the striker being loaned out to Bolton for the 2004/05 season with the move eventually becoming permanent.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Nolan explained why his former teammate is often misunderstood due to his public spats.
Then-Liverpool boss Gérard Houllier signed Diouf from Lens for £10 million prior to an impressive 2002 World Cup campaign with Senegal - where they reached the quarter-finals in the tournament.
The controversial forward was the striker Houllier hoped would take the Premier League title from Manchester United, after Liverpool had finished in second place the previous season.
However, Diouf's two seasons at Merseyside were unsuccessful and filled with controversy, including one incident in which he spat at Glasgow Celtic supporters in 2003.
Diouf even sensationally went the entire of the 2003/04 season without scoring a single goal - leading to the striker being loaned out to Bolton for the 2004/05 season with the move eventually becoming permanent.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Nolan explained why his former teammate is often misunderstood due to his public spats.
Listen, I know there's a lot of bad stuff about him, and he does let himself down sometimes with what he says, and the disrespect he shows to Stevie and Carra. I'd like to give him a little clip round the earhole sometimes to be honest!
But do you know what? He's a lovely lad and he's got a heart of gold. The trouble is, he wants to be on the telly, and he knows if he speaks about those two he will be.
He was a top player, it just didn't work for him at Liverpool for whatever reason. And I used to LOVE telling him that he was the only No.9 who never scored for Liverpool in a whole season!
Every time he got a bit big for his boots, I would tell him: "You were the worst No.9 I've ever seen at Liverpool!" He couldn't come back at that, so I always had one over him on that!
