Diouf completes Blackburn move

El-Hadji Diouf has completed his move to Blackburn from Sunderland, for a fee of £2m.

After spending three years together at Bolton, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce and Diouf are again reunited at Ewood Park.

Allardyce said: "He is a talented player. He can be a little wayward, as everybody knows, but hopefully I'll be able to control him as much as I did when I was at Bolton."

There will be no immediate return to the north-east for Diouf, though, as Blackburn failed to complete the transfer by the noon deadline ahead of tomorrow's game at Middlesbrough.

Allardyce continued: "In the time I spent with him we always finished in the top half of the Premier League, no lower than eighth, and we played in Europe.

"Hopefully he can bring his ability, his trickery to Ewood Park, and delight some of the Blackburn fans."

When reminded of Diouf's diving antics that won Allardyce the game that night four years ago, with a chuckle the Rovers manager said: "And nobody has ever done that for Blackburn in the past, have they not?

"If he goes and plays to his best then they (the fans) will soon take to him because he is talented.

"I just have to make sure he's ready and available, and he produces the best he can, because his best is very good - and normally it doesn't come this cheap."