NO-ONE knows how well El-Hadji Diouf will fare in English football better than the man who sold him.
Former Liverpool coach Patrice Bergues left Anfield last summer to return to Lens, and in doing so oversaw the development of the Senegal star (right).
After somewhat reluctantly allowing the 22-year-old follow the path he took with Houllier after the 1998 World Cup, Bergues is now anticipating Diouf will make his mark on the Premiership.
"Gerard and I only spoke about El-Hadji at the end of last season. We wanted to keep him for the Champions' League," says Bergues, now general manager of the French club.
"Maybe it's a little early for him, but football does not wait these days. Now he has another step to take in moving from Lens to Liverpool, but he is equipped to make it. Everyone saw in the World Cup he was a good player and I was surprised by the impact he had.
"He has to work hard and keep improving his game but he has all the potential to be a huge success. He has fight in him and in the big games he is always there. You saw that against France. He is a fighter. He has good technique and he's a crafty player. He can finish and he can pass."
Houllier admitted earlier this week there was an element of risk in investing £10m on a player who, but for the World Cup, would have been unknown in this country.
But the gamble yielded instant dividends.
Ironically, had Liverpool not pounced when they did, Diouf's value would have soared. The rest of the world was alerted to the
Senegal striker's talents and his stock rose in Japan.
The combination of charisma, unpredictability and breathtaking skill are potent ingredients which usually lead to instant folk-hero status on Merseyside.
Liverpool's fans have already taken to their number nine, and the word from the players is he's been flying in training, even mesmerising some of his own team mates with his tricks.
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