Steven Gerrard has been labelled a racist by his former Liverpool team-mate El Hadji Diouf, after the former Reds captain criticised the Senegalese in his book.
The Kop hero’s autobiography Steven Gerrard: My Story has immediatley sparked extraordinary allegations after Senegalese footballer Diouf blasted the former Liverpool man as a ‘jealous racist’.
The two players were team-mates between 2002-04 however it seems any love has now been lost after Diouf hit out at comments in Gerrard’s book suggesting that the forward was ‘his least favourite signing and that his commitment to the game was atrocious’.
“‘Gerrard has never liked black people,” the 34-year-old claimed to Le10Sport
“When I was in Liverpool, I showed him that I was black, not English, and that I wouldn’t let him walk all over me, after that he never dared to look me in the eye.
“We all saw how Gerrard made life difficult for [Mario] Balotelli at Liverpool, and this is because Liverpool is a team that does not accept black people unless they are English.
“I warned him [Balotelli] that Liverpool are not a team that welcomes foreigners. If you’re not British then you have no chance. This is common knowledge.”
The former African player of the year then went on to claim that the beloved former Reds captain was envious of his career.
“Gerrard is just jealous of what I’ve done in football,” said Diouf.
“I am respected in world football as the greatest football experts have rated me among the seven best players in the World Cup and one of the top 100 players of the century.
“Everywhere I go out of my country, they worship me. Wherever Gerrard goes [outside of Liverpool] he will be insulted.
Gerrard and his lawyers have immediately moved to categorically deny the allegations, and the former England international is thought to be taking legal advice.
