Megson salutes ‘nutcase’ Diouf

BOLTON manager Gary Megson describes El-Hadji Diouf as an “absolute nutcase” but he insists the controversial Senegal striker is not nasty or vindictive.

Diouf, 27, could face his former club for the first time since quitting the Reebok Stadium when Bolton travel to Sunderland tomorrow.

Eyebrows were raised in the summer when Roy Keane paid £2.5 million (€3m) for the former Liverpool forward’s services after few other clubs showed any real interest.

Keane hit the nail on the head when described Diouf as “the kind of player opposition teams and supporters love to hate”.

Yet he earned cult status at the Reebok Stadium and helped Bolton to win their fight with relegation with a match winning display against Keane’s Sunderland in the final home game of last season.

However, his commitment was brought into question by his own team-mates in the closing weeks of the campaign and a poor return of just six goals signalled a disappointing end to his Trotters career.

“I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say we miss Dioufy,” said Megson. “He always had a smile on his face and was a great lad around the place — an absolute nutcase.

“But he’s not vindictive or nasty at all. Yes, he made the statement that he wanted to leave. He made it with about seven or eight games to go and that had an impact on everybody else that was here.

“Once a player says he want to go and does a lap of honour around the Reebok Stadium (after the win against Sunderland), it’s obvious he’s going to go.

“He’s a talented lad and I’m sure our supporters will give him the applause that he deserves.”

Diouf, after a bright start at the Stadium of Light, has lost his place in the side and has yet to score a goal for the Wearsiders.

He may again be consigned to a place among the substitutes for a match which has taken on added significance for Keane.

His men have lost their last three home games and slid towards the relegation zone.