Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has openly revealed who he considers the worst teammate of his career at Anfield, and he didn’t mince words.
During his 17-year spell at Liverpool, Gerrard shared the pitch with some of the greatest players to ever wear the club’s colors, including Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, and Xabi Alonso. But a long career at a single club also exposed him to less impressive signings — and one player stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Gerrard, who made over 700 appearances, scored 186 goals, and provided 155 assists for Liverpool, also led the team as captain, notably during their famous 2004/05 Champions League triumph. Despite his success, one thing that shadows his legacy is the lack of a Premier League title, especially the heartbreaking near-miss in the 2013/14 season.
In his 2015 autobiography My Story, Gerrard criticized one particular signing — El Hadji Diouf — as the worst player he had the misfortune of playing alongside.
Gerrard wrote:
“I don’t like wasting time thinking about El Hadji Diouf, but his time at Liverpool is a textbook example of a transfer gone wrong. Gerard Houllier, a smart manager and usually good at judging players, signed Diouf in 2002 for £10 million based on his assistant’s recommendation — not personal experience.”
Diouf arrived from French club Lens with high expectations, meant to help Liverpool contend for the Premier League. But Gerrard labeled Diouf, along with Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou, as “probably the biggest waste of £18 million in the club’s history.”
He continued:
“After finishing second to Manchester United the previous season, we thought these new signings would push us further. Instead, we dropped to fifth, and Diouf topped my list of least-liked teammates. He didn’t seem to care about football or Liverpool. His disgraceful act of spitting at a Celtic fan during a 2003 UEFA Cup match said it all.”
Gerrard also dismissed comparisons between Diouf and another controversial Liverpool forward, Mario Balotelli:
“I actually respect Balotelli. I’ve got no respect at all for Diouf
