Megson demands Diouf answers

Wanderers boss tells forward to "get his head straight"

By Hayley Paterson   Last updated: 12th July 2008

El Hadji Diouf Bolton

Diouf: Wandering striker

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Gary Megson has told wantaway striker El Hadji Diouf to sort out his Bolton future immediately.

The striker has been given a short leave of absence by the club to attend to personal business in Senegal.

His manager is demanding immediate answers from the two-time African Footballer of the Year, who shocked the club in May by announcing that he was quitting Bolton - whether or not they remained in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has been linked with a string of clubs from England, Spain, France and Italy since dropping the bombshell but no firm offers have been forthcoming.

Farewell

"Everything that has been said about El Hadji has come from him," Megson told the Bolton Evening News.

"It was him who claimed he wasn't staying and him that did a solo lap of the ground as a farewell to fans in the final home game.

"He needs to sort out what he wants to do and then take it from there. You can't always do what we would like to, and when El Hadji came out and said he would be leaving regardless of whether we go down or stay up, he still needed somewhere to go to. That hasn't happened yet."

Knuckle down

Diouf is going into the final year of his contract after joining the Reebok Stadium from Liverpool on a permanent basis in 2005.

He flew back from Senegal for the first day of pre-season training this week only to make a quick return with his manager's permission.

"If he can't do what he wants to do, then he has to focus, knuckle down and have a better season.

"The first thing we have got to do is help El Hadji but he has to get his head straight," Megson added.