Cats new boy fixes eyes on Europe

Aug 1 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

IN a ringing endorsement of Roy Keane’s ambitious vision for Sunderland, El-Hadji Diouf has revealed he turned down moves to Portsmouth and Paris-Saint Germain because he believes the club can be playing European football within two seasons.

Pouring scorn on accusations that his Black Cats switch shows a lack of ambition Diouf claims Sunderland are perfectly placed to emulate the success of former club Bolton under Sam Allardyce and break into the top 10.

Diouf’s revelation that he snubbed the overtures of Harry Redknapp and the offer of European football to sign a four year deal at the Stadium of Light also speaks volumes for Keane’s sales pitch, which revolves around his desire to turn Sunderland into an established Premier League force.

Keane’s three-year plan has clearly convinced Diouf, who believes a steep improvement and a top eight finish is a realistic aim for next season.

The forward will make his Black Cats debut against Ajax this weekend and is assured of a rapturous reception by home supporters keen to tap into the feel-good factor whipped up by Sunderland’s impressive fortnight of transfer activity.

“I chose Sunderland ahead of Portsmouth because I came here and saw the training facilities and the stadium. It’s beautiful,” he said.

“I know what this club is capable of, and as long as the players believe in themselves this season, there’s no reason why we can’t finish in the top 10 or maybe even the top eight. If we do that, we will be looking to go even higher the following year.

“That’s what happened when I was at Bolton. Everybody asked me and my family, ‘Why has he gone to Bolton?’. But we finished fifth or sixth in the first season and I knew that was what we were capable of. Sunderland are in exactly the same position.”

Diouf’s target of a top eight place may appear a touch optimistic in light of the struggles that Sunderland endured last season, but he believes the club’s excellent recruitment so far is evidence that their challenge must be taken seriously.

“If you look at the new signings – people like Pascal Chimbonda and Steed Malbranque – and the lads who have been doing well here for the last couple of years, I am confident we are going to do something special this season. Before I signed for Sunderland, I read the papers and saw the kind of names the club was being linked with. That made me very excited to sign.”

While Sunderland’s readiness to pay big money to potential new recruits has clearly played a part in their impressive summer business, the presence of Keane in the manager’s seat appears to have been the biggest motivating factor for Diouf.

The manager’s pitch to Diouf clearly left a lasting impression on the Senegalese international, who recalled with fondness some of the running battles he enjoyed with Keane while the pair played for Manchester United and Liverpool.

Diouf clearly sees a kindred spirit in the Sunderland manager who, like him, invoked the ire of opposition supporters wherever he played.

“I am similar to Roy Keane because he used to be a bad loser as well. I hate losing. I played against him a number of times, and every time he was always so hot on the pitch. People used to boo Roy Keane wherever he went, and now they do that to me. But people never boo a bad player.

“The manager is a big name, and a big character. I think we have similar characters – that’s why I am happy to be working with him and learning from him. He has a big ambition for Sunderland in the years to come.”