{"id":184195,"date":"2025-10-08T00:30:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T00:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/184195\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T00:30:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T00:30:09","slug":"steven-gerrard-reignites-20-year-feud-with-el-hadji-diouf-as-liverpool-legend-hits-out-at-clubs-decision-to-sign-badboy-instead-of-striker-rio-ferdinand-called-one-of-the-top-three-hardest-ive-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/184195\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Gerrard reignites 20-year feud with El-Hadji Diouf as Liverpool legend hits out at club’s decision to sign badboy instead of striker Rio Ferdinand called ‘one of the top three hardest I’ve played against’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By LEWIS BROWNING, SPORTS REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 18:03 EDT, 7 October 2025 | Updated: 18:42 EDT, 7 October 2025 <\/p>\n

Former Liverpool<\/a> captain Steven Gerrard<\/a> has taken another swipe at former team-mate El-Hadj Diouf, reigniting their past feud.<\/p>\n

Gerrard and El-Hadji Diouf played together at Anfield from 2002-2004 before the Senegalese left for Bolton, and it is abundantly clear they simply did not like each other.<\/p>\n

On the day Gerrard announced his retirement from football, Diouf’s comments on French television once again opened a long-running dispute, which has now been ongoing for two decades.<\/p>\n

Diouf has accused his former captain of being jealous, selfish and even a racist – which Gerrard vigorously denied – during a number of outrageous outbursts, while Gerrard has been open about the fact he was not a fan of the Senegalese’s approach to football and life in general.<\/p>\n

Gerrard revealed his dislike of Diouf when his first autobiography was released in 2007. ‘I wasn’t Diouf’s number one fan,’ the then-Liverpool captain wrote. While playing with Leeds<\/a> in 2012, Diouf addressed the claims, insisting ‘nobody’ at Liverpool could stand Gerrard, who made 710 appearances for the club and led them to Champions League<\/a> victory in 2005.<\/p>\n

And Gerrard has now revisited the feud, speaking to Rio Ferdinand<\/a> on Rio Ferdinand Presents<\/a>. The ex-England man was asked by his ex team-mate about recruitment at Liverpool during his time there, and brought his old enemy up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Steven <\/p>\n

Steven Gerrard has reignited his feud with former team-mate El-Hadj Diouf as he hit out at Liverpool’s decision to sign the star<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The duo played together at Anfield from 2002-2004, before the Senegalese left for Bolton<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

They have clashed number of times in the past and Gerrard has now taken his latest shot<\/p>\n

\"Gerrard <\/p>\n

Gerrard wanted Liverpool to sign\u00a0Nicolas Anelka – who instead signed for Manchester City – instead of Diouf<\/p>\n

‘We got recruitment badly wrong at times,’ Gerrard said. ‘Badly wrong at times.<\/p>\n

‘I’ll give you one example. We had the chance to sign Nicolas Anelka or El Hadji Djouf. And we bought El Hadji Diouf on the back of a four to five game period in a World Cup when we could have bought someone on the back of five to six years. That was the decision.<\/p>\n

‘I don’t know who made the final decision. That one example of us as a club getting it wrong because that is one of the biggest mismatches you could debate. El Hadji Diouf or Nicolas Anelka.<\/p>\n

Anelka had played for Liverpool for a few months between December 2001 and May 2002, but joined Manchester City permanently in the summer of 2002 rather than sign for Liverpool, which is when Diouf arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ferdinand added: ‘Anelka is one of the hardest players I’ve played against. One of the top three hardest I’ve played against.<\/p>\n

Gerrard responded: ‘And he came into our sessions, Anelka, coolest man ever. Calm, relaxed. You just knew he had that aura and that confidence in himself.<\/p>\n

‘He was ready to win. He was ready to help Liverpool win more or get closer to you guys or wherever it was. Anelka was coming in and he was a level above. He was a level above.<\/p>\n

‘A decision was made and honestly, it was a complete mismatch. That was one example, I’ll give you, where I couldn’t believe what was happening.’<\/p>\n

Listen to the full Rio Meets Steven Gerrard interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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