Ex-Liverpool teammate of Steven Gerrard once laid into him so bad on live TV that Emmanuel Petit had to step in and tell him to be quiet

Steven Gerrard's former teammate El-Hadji Diouf once laid into him so badly that Arsenal and Chelsea legend Emmanuel Petit stepped in to tell him to be quiet.

It's no secret that during Diouf's two season spell at Anfield, he wasn't popular among several of his Liverpool teammates, most notably club captain Gerrard.

So much so, that in his 2015 autobiography, titled My Story, the Liverpool legend named Diouf as the worst teammate he ever played with after he joined in a £12million move from French club Lens.

He wrote: "It seemed to me, Diouf did not care about football and about Liverpool. A few people have since asked me if I saw any comparison between Diouf and Mario Balotelli - and I’ve always said no. I’ve got respect for Balotelli; I’ve got none for Diouf."

Gerrard's view of his former teammate was backed up by fellow club legend Jamie Carragher, prompting a response from Diouf who hit back at both men in a heated rant live on television.

El Hadji Diouf made 80 appearances for Liverpool. (Image: Getty)

Shortly after Gerrard announced his retirement from football in November 2016, the former Senegalese international was speaking on French channel SFR Sport, and he didn't hold back his feelings about the news.

Speaking about Gerrard and Carragher, Diouf said: “People told me at Liverpool, there was some guys you could not touch, but I touched them. That is why it was complicated for me.

“When I arrived I showed [Gerrard] he was nothing at all. He was nothing at all.

“I asked him to tell me in which big competition, Euros or World Cup, people think about him."

Diouf's comments clearly frustrated Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Petit, who defended his former rival by mentioned his importance in Liverpool's victory over AC Milan in the famous 2005 Champions League final.

But, after Petit amitted that he couldn't remember if the Istanbul final took place in 2005 or 2006, Diouf doubed down, adding: “Here is the proof, even you cannot remember.

"You are talking about Euros and World Cup. Today I owe you respect [Petit], I owe respect to Mr [Zinedine] Zidane because you did win the World Cup.”

Petit wasn't happy to let it lie though, as he again interrupted, saying: “I cannot let you say that about Steven Gerrard, he was an immense player.”

Steven Gerrard and El Hadji Diouf battled in 2010 during Blackburn Rovers vs Liverpool (Image: Getty)

Diouf responded: “I repeat. I respect the player, very big player, but the man, I do not respect. And I told him, I let him know that.

“With all my respect I let him know. For me in Liverpool, he was not just a player like anyone else. He had to work and play his football as I had to work and play my football.

“Then as you know, there were some brown-nosers, who went to the manager to repeat what I said. That was the real problem. When Gerrard did that, we had an argument, like real men.

“That is why he does not like me. He knows I say what I think, that when it is not right, no problem, I am up for it.

“He could not, he was afraid of looking into my eyes. He was afraid of talking to me. Let's not forget when I arrived I did not ask for his shirt. He asked for my Senegal shirt for one of his mates.”