Diop: My friend Diouf isn't scum

"As a person and in life in general he is very calm," said Diop. "He can talk to people and he's very eloquent and intelligent, and if there is anyone who can change a perception then it's Diouf.

"I can understand how some supporters might feel about him, what he has done with the spitting incident has let him down, which he has regretted when he thinks about it. But he's genuinely a nice person and I'm sure that what he did before won't be repeated because it has been out of character.

"Of course, people will have opinions about him here, but he's a very popular member of the team in Senegal-and he's respected by our fans." But, away from his homeland, the picture is very different.

Diouf 's every touch of the ball on English soil is greeted with a chorus of boos and a torrent of abuse. And given the despicable incident in late November when he spat in the face of Portsmouth defender Arjan De Zeeuw, it is difficult to feel any sympathy for the 24-year-old forward.

Football fans might forgive a reckless challenge or even a raised hand but subjecting an opponent to a facefull of phlegm crosses into totally different territory, and Diouf is now forced to live with the consequences.

At Liverpool resentment continues to fester for a player who appeared more interested in experiencing the city's hottest nightspots than earning his money on the pitch.

Having arrived at Anfield for £10million in 2002 following Senegal's successful World Cup, expectations were high but Diouf 's contribution, which amounted to only three Premiership goals in 55 appearances, fell woefully short.

That return, coupled with stories of him living the high-life, tested the patience of Liverpool supporters and a spitting incident at Celtic, which resulted in a £5,000 fine and an appearance in a Glasgow courtroom, proved to be the final straw.

Indeed, former Liverpool striker John Aldridge, who now follows the club's fortunes as a media pundit, believes that Diouf was the catalyst for Gerard Houllier's dismissal last year. "I think he contributed [to Houllier's downfall]," said the former Republic of Ireland international. "Diouf was the biggest buy at the time and there was so much expectation, but he didn't impress at all.

"The Liverpool fans gave him the benefit of the doubt for a lot longer than they should have, but when he spat at the Celtic fans that was a real kick in the balls because there's such a strong bond between Liverpool and Celtic. Liverpool fans were appalled and that was the end of Diouf."

IN Bolton, however, Liverpool's cast-off has been gratefully received. The unsavoury acts have not been ignored, but Diouf 's impressive performances since joining on a season-long loan have convinced Bolton manager Sam Allardyce that there is good reason for persevering with him.

That faith has been rewarded with Diouf providing the impetus for a nine-match unbeaten run that has rescued Bolton's season. During that sequence, Diouf has scored three Premiership goals - as many as he did in two years at Anfield - and his all-action displays have earned him the respect of his team-mates.

"He's been the difference for us," said Bolton striker Kevin Davies. "Obviously we've kept clean sheets and been doing well at the back, but he's been in great form."

In fact, Diouf 's performances have been so impressive that Allardyce's assistant Phil Brown believes Jay-Jay Okocha could be usurped as Bolton's most influential player.

"It could be a battle between Dioufy and Jay-Jay as to who's the king of the Reebok," said Brown. It is a title that the Senegalese international would surely be happy to hold.