Bolton Wanderers Football Club

• Nickname:Wanderers
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Dougie Freedman

• Ground:Reebok Stadium
• Capacity:28000

Diouf admits to conning refs

25 Nov 2006 - 12:48:18

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Bolton's controversial striker El Hadji Diouf has admitted to diving during matches and claims that conning referees is rife among players in the Premiership.

The Senegal international claims leading players - including himself and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney - are guilty of influencing the decisions of referees by going down too cheaply.

"It's not just me who dives. If you see Wayne Rooney, how often does he dive to get a penalty?" said Diouf.

"Sometimes I need to dive to have a penalty. It's just football. The best footballer is very clever like that.

"Sometimes I dive because I move my foot before the guy comes in to break my leg. Sometimes I get a free-kick, sometimes I don't."

However, Diouf believes he doesn't deserve the bad-boy image that has tarnished his Premiership career.

"The problem is sometimes the referees are not very good with me, I've had penalties and not been given them," he continued.

"I've won some penalties like that, but how many penalties has Rooney won and nothing is ever said about him? But it is when it's me.

"Everybody thinks I am a bad boy. I have a bad reputation everywhere in the world.

"I know that, but what is important for me is that the people I am working with - Sam Allardyce, the staff and the other players - know I am a nice lad.

"It is just that I have a bad reputation. I like being booed though and I usually do something early in the game to get people booing me."