Leeds United have signed Senegalese forward El Hadji Diouf on a free transfer, despite Neil Warnock once describing the player as worse than a "sewer rat".

Warnock famously voiced his dislike for Diouf when he was manager of Queens Park Rangers and the then Blackburn player abused Jamie Mackie while he lay on the pitch with a broken leg.

“The lads were furious with El-Hadji Diouf; he [Mackie] had broken his leg and he is calling him all sorts on the pitch,” said Warnock at the time. 

“There was no need to put the finger up and call him a disgrace and even the Blackburn people were embarrassed.

“I can't abide people like that, I don't know why he wants to take on the world every week.

“For many years I have thought he [Diouf] was the gutter type - I was going to call him a sewer rat but that might be insulting to sewer rats.

“I think he is the lowest of the low and I can't see him being at Blackburn much longer because I can't see Steve Kean putting up with someone like that in the dressing room when he is trying to form a new image for Blackburn.

“I think he will be the first to go and good riddance - I hope he goes abroad because I won't miss watching him. He is a nasty little person.”

The player himself also had a few choice words to say about his new manager, replying: “Who is Warnock? He's nothing to me. He's not Alex Ferguson, he's not Arsene Wenger, he's not Sam Allardyce or an important manager. I know he doesn't like me, but it's the same for me too - I don't like him.

“I can't stand him. He is not a good manager. Nobody has heard of him outside of this country so who cares what he thinks about me.”

Bet365 quote odds of 14/1 on Leeds winning The Championship, and 9/2 that they get promoted this season.