By Alhagie Mbye, London Bureau Chief
Following several weeks of controversy, injuries and hernia operation, Senegalese international striker El-Hadji Diouf has bounce back in the limelight full of smiles after scoring superb and terrific goals in favour of his team Bolton Wanderers during the last season.Despite the young star’s criticism during the last premiership of certain conducts in the pitch including the spitting of an opponent which he had to apologise, Diouf has been hailed by credible sport journalists and pundits’ as a ‘fantastic and hardworking’ footballer doing a good job for his club.
In a recent interview with SKY Sports, Diouf, speaking calmly with big smiles maintained that he always love people booing him on the pitch as they are the very ones who help push him to his best. He said: ‘I like them booing me. I love that, sometimes if people don’t boo me am not at my best. But if they boo me then they push me at the very best. That’s why I like them’.
He maintained that critics must understand that sometimes he can lose his temper and react just like any other player, but insisted that should not mean otherwise. He added: ‘Remember I am still young and hate to lost games…I can sometimes lose my heart as a result of events’.
It is true that Diouf has boosted the confidence of many Bolton fans especially when Sam Allardyce, his former team’s manager was accused by an episode of panorama called ‘In Football’s Dirty Secret’ of involvement in taking ‘illegal payments from transfer deals’ known as ‘bungs’.
The BBC television programme also alleged that secret payments had been made to Allardyce’s son, Craig, in a clear breach of the Football Association rules and regulations.
Bolton and its former Manager have totally rejected the allegations describing it as not only false but also malicious and threatened legal action against its producers. Fans of the highly respected manager in English football also indicated that it was better for the club not to be distracted from its current excellent form and concentrate on the good job.
During his interview embedded with Rand B music showing the striker’s flamboyance, Diouf said: ‘When I heard everyone shouting against Sam! Sam! Sam!, I said to my self, I must work harder for him. Sam is a good man. Since I came here in Bolton from Liverpool I feel great. Everyone welcomes me and Sam gave me lots of support and confidence. Now I am happy here and want to score more goals for the club’.
Diouf also revealed that he was not at all happy at Liverpool simply because he was not a ‘good friend’ of his former boss, adding that the arrival of new players like Nicolas Anelka at Bolton gave him more courage.
‘I know him (Anelka) when I was in the French league. I know him a long time ago. He works very hard and I like him very much. He is a great lad in a great club and we are all doing a great job’.
Bolton played six games unbeaten during the first weeks of the last season and later came in the first ten in the premiership table which was also very encouraging. The £10 million striker said that he is not at Bolton to enjoy the beaches but to score goals for the club. ‘I plan to score 15 goals this time to help myself, Manager and Bolton as a team’ he said with confidence.
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