Leeds United 3 Blackburn Rovers 3: Diouf aims for legendary status and Premier return for Leeds

The former Senegal captain and Liverpool striker signed on until January at Elland Road and went so very close to becoming the match-winner against another of his former clubs on Saturday.

Diouf was the catalyst to a storming comeback by Leeds in a tremendous encounter where the hosts’ tenacity eclipsed the visitors’ quality.

Warnock was delighted to have secured his services until at least the new year but revealed he blamed Diouf and captain Lee Peltier for Blackburn’s opening two goals inside the first 27 minutes, allowing Markus Olsson the freedom of the flank to first cut inside and drill the ball home across goalkeeper Paddy Kenny before cutting it back for Nuno Gomes to fire home the second.

“Diouffy had cost us the first two goals – him and Peltier didn’t do so well with the left-back – so it would have been easy to take him off or what have you. But I asked him to contribute and I put him on the other side and in the second half he was outstanding. It would have just topped it off if he had scored right at the end,” beamed Warnock.

Diouf is on a relative ‘pittance’ of £5,000 a week compared to the reported £40,000 a week Blackburn’s £8m new signing Jordan Rhodes is receiving but Warnock is delighted he has penned a short-term deal, stating: “You look at our bench compared to theirs and it is obvious we have got to have forward players to try and change the game but it’s difficult with the financial situation here.

“He’s not playing for money, he’s playing for the stage and the platform because he could have gone anywhere really. All credit to him because he wants to play on that stage and that crowd brings out the best in him.”

Diouf is glad his situation has been resolved, saying: “I’m so happy to have signed that contract for a big club like Leeds United and I hope that the fans are happy because they have been waiting for so long.

“I got offers from clubs outside England but I think the challenge here is bigger than anywhere else. Leeds United are a club known all around the world so why wouldn’t I want to help this club into the Premier League?

“The fans are making me young, quick, fit and enjoy myself. Without the fans, I am not the same person. The fans here are wonderful. Leeds United are one of my dreams. I used to like Leeds when Cantona played here and my good friend Olivier Dacourt and Didier Domi – a lot of good players. They always told me – and I know because I played with Liverpool here – that the atmosphere is amazing. That’s why I said ‘why not Leeds?’

“It’s not about money. It’s about the challenge. I could have gone and earned more money in Dubai, Qatar and other places, but the challenge is bigger here. I think that if I can get promoted with Leeds into the Premier League, I will be a legend in England.”

Bolt did the Olympic sprint double to earn his legendary status but one suspects the task facing Diouf will be just as challenging given Leeds’s limited resources.

They could easily have been swamped by relegated Blackburn, who have quality players throughout the side even though former Huddersfield striker Rhodes had a quiet debut, Tom Lees not giving the predator a sniff inside the area.

But Leeds began to put in some crunching challenges, particularly in midfield, and Blackburn were knocked out of their stride.

They claimed former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson was impeded as David Norris lifted the ball back in for Diouf to force the ball home at the third attempt in front of the Kop shortly before the break.

But the visitors received a let-off in stoppage time when Mauro Formica, who had been booked for diving, kicked the ball away after handling and referee Neil Swarbrick failed to act.

Warnock did act at the break, switching his wide men and Diouf admitted: “We have never had this situation before – being 2-0 down – and we showed character. The game changed when I swapped with Luke Varney because my game is all about creativity but I couldn’t do that because Markus Olsson is always asking questions going forward. When the gaffer swapped us, the game changed completely.”

Leeds, backed by tremendous support, tore into Rovers and were particularly dangerous at set plays thanks to the delivery of 
Diouf and Ross McCormack.

But the visitors were aggrieved again when a thumping aerial challenge from Luciano Becchio on Gael Givet for Adam Drury’s punt from inside his own half saw the ball drop and Scotland striker McCormack raced between a triangle of Rovers defenders to smash home a glorious volley.

The visitors, who had been shorn of central defender Scott Dann in the 10th minute due to hamstring trouble, were in disarray and when Grant Hanley sliced a clearance in the 66th minute, Becchio dived in to head home from six yards.

Either side of the goal, Becchio had seen a header cleared off the line by Danny Murphy and Jason Pearce thought he had made it 4-2 with a header only to have a free-kick awarded against him.

Rovers’ last throw of the dice proved enough as their man from Barcelona, Ruben Rochina, came on for Gomes and back-heeled home from Hanley’s downward header at a corner in the 84th minute.

Both sides went for the winner, Dickson Etuhu firing wide for Rovers before Olsson threw himself towards Diouf in the fifth minute of stoppage time forcing a hurried shot to be deflected inches over the bar.