Source: PA
Diouf could be a good signing - Lennon
Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes the signing of El-Hadji Diouf could turn out to be a shrewd move by Old Firm counterpart Walter Smith.
Diouf is set for a highly-charged Glasgow derby debut on Sunday after joining Rangers on loan from Blackburn just before the transfer deadline.
The former Liverpool player spat at a Celtic fan during a UEFA Cup tie at Parkhead in 2003, earning himself a £5,000 fine at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Diouf has since been no stranger to controversy and Rangers boss Smith claimed his media treatment since arriving in Scotland had been worse than that of a serial killer.
Lennon was reluctant to comment on the previous meeting between Diouf and Celtic as the former Senegal international prepares to face them in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup at Ibrox.
But he said: "I think it sometimes gets lost a little bit that he's a good player. Liverpool paid £11million for him when he first came to England.
"He has played in the Premiership ever since then, so it might be a shrewd bit of business on Rangers' part. As regards the off-the-field stuff and the on-the-field stuff, I really can't comment on that. I know he was well thought of by the staff at Blackburn, because I know them personally. They thought he was a good team-mate and a good guy to have around the place."
