Salif Diao is a professional football player who was born on February 10, 1977 in Kedougou, Senegal. Nicknamed “Big Salif” and “the Sheriff”, this footballer generally plays as a defensive midfielder.
In 2000, Salif Diao got his first call for the Senegal national team, and a couple of years later, he established himself as a strong player at the 2002 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup held in South Korea and Japan. He scored a memorable goal against Denmark in the first round and helped his team qualify for the quarter finals. In the same year, he was a member of the squad that finished as runners-up in the African Cup of Nations. Salif Diao was awarded the Best Midfielder of the Season for his spectacular performance in the same match. He also scored the winning goal in the semifinals against Nigeria in the same tournament. As of 2008, he has won a total of 39 international caps and has 4 goals to his credit.
Salif Diao began his professional football career with the Monegasque football club AS Monaco in 1996. During his stint at this club, he was a member of the squad that won the French League in the 1999-2000 season. However, in 2000, Salif Diao moved to the French side, CS Sedan Ardennes, for a contract that was worth £5 million. In 2002, he was signed with the English Premier League side, the Liverpool Football Club. During his tenure at this club, he scored his first league goal in a game against Leeds United, and he was a member of the squad that won the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul. During the 2004-05 season, Salif Diao scored his last goal for Liverpool against Millwall in the Carling Cup match, and in January 2005, he appeared for the club for the last time in the match against Norwich. In 2005, he was sent on a brief loan to play for the Birmingham City F.C., and he spent the 2005-06 season at the Portsmouth F.C.
On October 10, 2006, Salif Diao signed a loan deal with Stoke City. At this club, he played a pivotal role that held the team together and also helped his team elevate to a higher position in the points table. Many Stoke City fans compared his playing skills with Claude Makélélé, a French footballer, for his ability to control the pace of the game. For his valuable contributions to the club, Salif Diao was rewarded with an extension of contract that kept him in the club until the end of the season, and on January 25, 2007, his loan deal was converted into a permanent contract. Eleven months later, Salif Diao extended his tenure with his club by signing a new one-and-half-year contract. As of 2008, this defensive mid-fielder has made a total of 22 appearances for this club.
