Ex-Liverpool villain El Hadji Diouf handed suspended prison sentence

Former Liverpool and Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf has been handed a suspended prison sentence for failing to pay nearly £14,000 in child support to his ex-wife.

Diouf is best known for his exploits at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he helped the West African nation reach the quarter-finals.

His performances at the tournament earned him a move to Premier League giants Liverpool, where he went on to make 80 appearances.

However, off-the-field issues overshadowed his time on Merseyside, with Reds icon Steven Gerrard later describing him as the player “at the top of the list of Liverpool signings I liked least” in his 2015 autobiography.

“He had no real interest in football and no respect for the club or the fans,” Gerrard said.

He was loaned to Bolton Wanderers before making the move permanent in 2005.

Diouf later represented several British clubs, including Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Rangers, Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United, before retiring following a stint with Sabah FA in Malaysia in 2015.

Since then, the 45-year-old has remained involved in football, working in the media and maintaining links with the Senegal national team.

However, away from the game, Diouf has faced legal issues involving his ex-wife, Valerie Bishop, and was subsequently called to appear before a Senegalese court in November 2025.

It was first reported by The Sun that Diouf risked a potential jail sentence after being accused of missing child maintenance payments following his divorce in 2023.

Then, on Thursday (May 14), the outlet reported that Diouf had been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay Bishop ten million West African francs — equivalent to £13,220.

Bishop was previously awarded custody of the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, Keyla. Diouf was supposed to pay around £670 in child support to help cover school fees and medical bills, but Bishop first accused him of failing to do so in March 2024.

Her lawyers reportedly told the court that Diouf had the means to pay the fees, given his earnings from advertising, property and work with Senegal’s FA.

Diouf failed to appear at a number of hearings before his sentence was handed down.