Salif Diao

Salif Alassane Diao is a Senegalese international football player who currently features for the English Premier League clubs Stoke. He plays as a defensive midfielder and has previously played for Premiership and European giants Liverpool.

Salif Diao started his footballing career in his native Senegal and moved to France when he was just 17 years of age. Salif Diao was signed by French principality club AS Monaco in 1996 and won the French Ligue 1 title in the 1999-2000 season.

Salif Diao then played for Sedan between 2000 and 2002 and was signed by Premier League giants Liverpool in 2002. Although he was officially a Liverpool played until 2007, he could only manage 37 Premiership and scored 1 goal and never really settled at Anfield.

During his tenure with Liverpool, Diao played on loan for Birmingham City, Portsmouth and Stoke City but couldn’t never really be a first choice regular defensive midfielder for any of those sides.

In 2007 Stoke City signed Salif Diao on a permanent contract.

Salif Diao made his international debut for Senegal in 2000 and has played 39 times for his nation so far, scoring 4 goals. He featured prominently at the 2002 World Cup finals for Senegal and was an important played for his nation as they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup.