El Hadji Diouf facts for kids
Diouf playing for Rangers in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf | ||
| Date of birth | 15 January 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Dakar, Senegal | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Winger, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rennes | |||
| –1998 | Sochaux | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–1999 | Sochaux | 16 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Rennes | 28 | (1) |
| 2000–2002 | Lens | 54 | (18) |
| 2002–2005 | Liverpool | 55 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | → Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 27 | (9) |
| 2005–2008 | Bolton Wanderers | 87 | (12) |
| 2008–2009 | Sunderland | 14 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Blackburn Rovers | 60 | (4) |
| 2011 | → Rangers (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Doncaster Rovers | 22 | (6) |
| 2012–2014 | Leeds United | 40 | (14) |
| 2014–2015 | Sabah FA | 10 | (4) |
| Total | 428 | (69) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000–2008 | Senegal | 70 | (24) |
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El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (born on January 15, 1981) is a former professional footballer from Senegal. He played as a winger or a forward during his career.
Diouf started his football journey in France with clubs like Sochaux, Rennes, and Lens. Before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he moved to the Premier League team Liverpool. He had a fantastic tournament with the Senegal team. He also played for other English clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers. Later, he played in Scotland for Rangers. In 2011, he joined Football League Championship team Doncaster Rovers and then Leeds United for two seasons. He represented Senegal for nine years, scoring 21 goals in 69 games.
Contents
Who is El Hadji Diouf?
El Hadji Diouf was born in Dakar, Senegal. He comes from the noble Diouf family of the Serer background.
What was Diouf's Club Career Like?
Starting in France
Diouf began his professional career in France with Sochaux-Montbéliard. He played his first game on November 12, 1998. After that, he moved to Rennes for the 1999–2000 season. The next season, he joined Lens and stayed there for two years.
Playing for Liverpool
In June 2002, there were reports that English club Liverpool wanted to sign Diouf. This news came after his amazing performance in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2002 against France. France was the defending World and European champion at the time.
His move to Liverpool was confirmed on June 2, for about £10 million. Diouf's great performances in the World Cup, where Senegal reached the quarter-finals, made fans excited for his arrival in England. Manager Gérard Houllier hoped Diouf would help Liverpool win the Premier League title.
Diouf started well at Liverpool. He scored two goals in his first game at Anfield on August 24, 2002, helping Liverpool win 3–0 against Southampton. He also played in the 2003 Football League Cup Final, where Liverpool beat Manchester United to win the trophy.
After his loan, Diouf left Liverpool and joined Bolton permanently in the summer of 2005.
Time at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers bought Diouf from Liverpool in 2005. He had already played for them on loan during the 2004–05 season. On September 15, 2005, Diouf scored Bolton's first-ever goal in a European competition. This was against Lokomotiv Plovdiv in a UEFA Cup match. Bolton won that game 2–1.
Diouf was very successful at Bolton. Fans liked him because of his exciting style of play and direct runs. He announced that he would leave Bolton at the end of the 2007–08 season. His goal against Sunderland on May 3 was his last game at the Reebok Stadium.
Moving to Sunderland
Diouf signed with Sunderland on July 28, 2008. Bolton agreed to a transfer fee of £2.63 million. He signed a four-year contract. Diouf said he was happy to join Sunderland. The manager at the time, Roy Keane, was also pleased. He said Diouf was the kind of player that opposing teams found tough to play against. Diouf started well for Sunderland but did not score in his sixteen games.
Playing for Blackburn Rovers
Diouf joined Blackburn Rovers for £2 million on January 30, 2009. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. Here, he reunited with his former Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce. He scored his first goal for Blackburn against Fulham on March 11, 2009, in a 2–1 win.
He scored his first home goal for Rovers on September 12, 2009, in a 3–1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On March 21, 2010, Diouf scored an important goal against Chelsea. This 1–1 draw helped open up the 2010 title race. By the end of the 2009–10 season, he had played 27 games and scored three goals.
In August 2011, Blackburn manager Steve Kean said Diouf was not part of his main team plans. Blackburn ended Diouf's contract by agreement on August 31, 2011.
Loan to Rangers
On the last day of the January 2011 transfer window, Diouf joined Scottish Premier League champions Rangers on loan. He played for them until the end of the 2010–11 season. He made his debut on February 2. He scored his first goal for Rangers on February 24 in a 2–2 draw against Sporting CP in the Europa League.
He scored his second goal for Rangers on March 13 against Kilmarnock. In March 2011, Diouf helped Rangers win the Scottish League Cup by beating rivals Celtic 2–1. Diouf also won an SPL winners medal as Rangers came from behind to win the league title.
Playing for Doncaster Rovers
On October 31, 2011, Diouf signed a three-month contract with Doncaster Rovers. He scored his first two goals for Doncaster on November 5, 2011, against Ipswich. He was named Man of the Match in their 3–2 victory. On February 2, 2012, Diouf signed a six-month deal with the club.
Time at Leeds United
On August 9, 2012, Diouf joined Leeds United for a trial and began training with the team. He signed a non-contract deal with Leeds United on August 11. Diouf played as a substitute for Leeds against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup.
He made his first league appearance for Leeds as a substitute in their 1–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His first start for Leeds was on August 25 in a 2–1 victory over Peterborough United.
On September 1, Diouf scored his first goal for Leeds in a 3–3 draw against his old club Blackburn Rovers. After this, he signed a permanent contract with Leeds until January 2013. Diouf said he turned down other offers to help Leeds reach the Premier League. He played very well in Leeds' 2–1 win against Everton on September 25. Manager Neil Warnock called Diouf his 'matador' and said Diouf promised to stay longer.
Diouf scored two goals against Bristol City on September 29, helping Leeds win 3–2. He was named captain against his old team Bolton Wanderers on October 2. Diouf scored his fourth goal of the season on October 30 in a 3–0 League Cup win against Southampton F.C.. This helped Leeds reach the quarter-finals. He scored his fifth goal from a penalty on November 2 against Brighton.
On December 14, 2012, Diouf signed a new 18-month deal, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2013–14 season. He scored his seventh goal of the season against Brighton on April 27.
In May 2013, Leeds United and Diouf denied claims that he had signed with a Guinea club. They said Diouf would play for Leeds in the 2013–14 season. Diouf missed the 2013–14 pre-season due to a shin infection.
In December 2013, it was reported that Diouf had missed some Leeds games and training sessions. This was to attend funerals for his former coach Bruno Metsu and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Diouf made his last start for Leeds on January 28 in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town. He was released by the club on May 16, 2014.
Playing in Malaysia for Sabah FA
In November 2014, Diouf signed a one-year contract with Malaysian team Sabah FA. He was named team captain. However, he later had some disagreements with the club. Sabah removed him as captain in July 2015.
Diouf's International Career
Diouf's international career for Senegal began in April 2000 against Benin. He played 69 games and scored 21 goals for his country. He was a key player for Senegal in their amazing 2002 FIFA World Cup journey. He was chosen for the World Cup All-Star team. Senegal reached the quarter-finals, beating strong teams like France (1–0) and Sweden (2–1). They lost 1–0 in extra time to Turkey.
He was also part of the Senegal team that finished second in the 2002 African Cup of Nations. They lost to Cameroon in a penalty shootout in the final.
In 2004, Diouf was named in the FIFA 100. This is a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé for FIFA's 100th birthday. In October 2007, Diouf announced he was retiring from international football.
In September 2012, the Senegal Football Federation said that a five-year ban on Diouf had been reduced. This meant he could play for Senegal again. Diouf was twice named the African Footballer of the Year.
What Did Diouf Do After Football?
In 2017, Diouf was working in Dakar. He was a goodwill ambassador for the government and an adviser on sports to the Senegalese President Macky Sall. He also ran his own sports newspaper and a gymnasium.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sochaux-Montbéliard | 1998–99 | Division 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 12 | ||
| Rennes | 1999–2000 | Division 1 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 38 | 4 | |
| Lens | 2000–01 | Division 1 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 9 | |
| 2001–02 | Division 1 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 10 | |||
| Total | 54 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 59 | 19 | |||
| Liverpool | 2002–03 | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 6 |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | ||
| Total | 55 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 6 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2004–05 | Premier League | 27 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 9 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 20 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 27 | 4 | |||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 5 | |||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 42 | 6 | ||
| Total | 114 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 3 | — | 136 | 24 | |||
| Sunderland | 2008–09 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2008–09 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 3 | |||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| Total | 60 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 62 | 4 | ||||
| Rangers (loan) | 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 22 | 2 | |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2011–12 | Championship | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 6 | |
| Leeds United | 2012–13 | Championship | 36 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 45 | 7 | |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 42 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 52 | 7 | |||
| Sabah | 2015 | Malaysia Premier League | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 422 | 62 | 23 | 2 | 27 | 5 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 510 | 75 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 2000 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10 | 11 | |
| 2002 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 2 | |
| Total | 70 | 24 | |
- Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Diouf goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 March 2001 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Namibia |
1-0 | 4-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 3 | 3-0 | ||||||
| 4 | 24 March 2001 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Uganda |
1-0 | 3-0 | 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 5 | 3-0 | ||||||
| 6 | 21 April 2001 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Algeria |
1-0 | 3-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 7 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 8 | 3-0 | ||||||
| 9 | 14 July 2001 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Morocco |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 10 | 21 July 2001 | Independence Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia | Namibia |
2-0 | 5-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 11 | 4 October 2001 | Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France |  Japan |
1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly | |
| 12 | 4 February 2002 | Stade Modibo Kéïta, Bamako, Mali |  DR Congo |
2-0 | 2-0 | 2002 African Cup of Nations | |
| 13 | 14 May 2002 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Saudi Arabia |
2-2 | 2-3 | Friendly | |
| 14 | 7 June 2003 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Gambia |
3-1 | 3-1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 15 | 14 June 2003 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Lesotho |
1-0 | 3-0 | 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 16 | 15 November 2003 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Ivory Coast |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly | |
| 17 | 26 March 2005 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Liberia |
2-0 | 6-1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 18 | 6-0 | ||||||
| 19 | 3 September 2005 | Konkola Stadium, Chililabombwe, Zambia' |  Zambia |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 20 | 8 October 2005 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Mali |
2-0 | 3-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 21 | 21 August 2007 | The Den, London, United Kingdom |  Ghana |
1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly | |
| 22 | 8 September 2007 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal |  Burkina Faso |
5-1 | 5-1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 23 | 15 June 2008 | Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia, Liberia | Liberia |
1-0 | 2-2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 24 | 21 June 2008 | Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal | Liberia |
2-0 | 3-1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
What Awards and Honours Did Diouf Win?
Liverpool
- Football League Cup: 2002–03
Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2010–11
- Scottish League Cup: 2010–11
Senegal
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2002
Individual
- African Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2002
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2002
- FIFA World Cup All-star team: 2002
- FIFA 100
Images for kids
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Diouf playing for Rangers in 2011
See also
In Spanish: El Hadji Diouf para niños
