Neil Mellor has recalled how El-Hadji Diouf refused to let him take a penalty he had won on his Liverpool debut.
Mellor broke through at Anfield in the winter of 2002, playing 22 games for his boyhood club before leaving permanently in 2006.
The forward had a lasting impact on Merseyside despite his relative lack of opportunities, scoring a crucial goal in their successful 2005 Champions League campaign and winning the 2003 League Cup.
Mellor made his Liverpool debut in the fourth round of that competition at home to Ipswich, but was robbed of a goal by summer signing Diouf.
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Asked for memories of his first game in a Q&A session for Goal, the former Liverpool striker replied: “It was against Ipswich in the League Cup at Anfield, December 2002. It was a special night, and all my family were there.
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“I’d done well in the reserves, and I felt I’d earned my chance. I’ll always remember before the game Gerard Houllier, in the changing room, saying randomly ‘Who wants to take penalties tonight?’ I’d missed one in the Youth Cup semi-final, but I put my hand straight up. I enjoyed taking penalties. He looked me in the eye and said ‘You’re on pens.’ That gave me a lift.
“I was poor in the first half and I was worried he was going to take me off at half-time. He didn’t, he kept me on, and a few minutes into the second half, Kop End, I’m waiting for Mark Venus to make a challenge inside the box. I nudge the ball past him, he takes me out, bang! Penalty! I’m buzzing.
“I go to get the ball and El-Hadji Diouf, who’d been signed for big money that summer and was struggling to justify his price-tag with goals, has got the ball under his arm and is saying he’s taking it. I’m like ‘What are you doing?’ but he is having none of it.
“So, I’m a lad on debut arguing with a £10million signing in front of the Kop! People probably thought ‘Who is this kid?’ I looked at Steven Gerrard, who was captain, and he said ‘Just let him take it.’ Diouf scored.
“A few minutes later I’m one-on-one with Andy Marshall, the goalkeeper, knock it past him and I swear to God it’s going in until it hits a bit of grass, and comes back off the inside of the post. To this day, I still think it’s going in! We won on penalties that night, and went on to win the League Cup that year. I scored in the semi at Sheffield United and got a medal when we beat Manchester United in the final.”
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