For an ad-free experience, please log-in to the members site

Sinama-Pongolle reveals shock at Gerrard-Diouf bust-up

Florent Sinama-Pongolle

Former Liverpool forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle has revealed how a bust-up between El-Hadji Diouf and Steven Gerrard during shocked him.

Sinama-Pongolle was signed by Liverpool back in 2001 after impressing at the UEFA European Under-16 Championship and the FIFA Under-17 World Championship. He came in along with his cousin Anthony Le Tallec and was described at the time by former Liverpool boss Gérard Houllier as his “French gems” although all the hype around them proved to be a load of nonsense as they turned out to be pants.

Commenting on a bust-up between Diouf and Gerrard at half-time during a match, Sinama-Pongolle, who is now 35, said: “Half-time of a preseason game. Fight between Diouf and Gerrard. I was traumatised. Can you imagine the young ones seeing this and thinking that’s what professionals are like at that level?

<<– Buy real football club shares online –>>

“At half-time, in the dressing room. Stevie G is all like ‘you have to pass, you have to pass’ and [Diouf] just loses it.

“He didn’t speak English. His English was rubbish. You know what he (Diouf) did? They hated each other so much. Steven Gerrard arrives, he insults Diouf. ‘Hey, you f***!’ and [Diouf] couldn’t answer, so he grabs Gérard Houllier and says: ‘Tell him, I’ll f*** his mum’. He came in and said: ‘I’m not his mate, I’ll do him in straight away’.”