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ESPN staff 9y

Former Liverpool winger El Hadji Diouf joins Malaysian club Sabah FA

Former Liverpool winger El Hadji Diouf has joined second-tier Malaysian side Sabah FA.

Diouf, 33, has been a free agent since May when he was with English Championship side, Leeds United. He will play a prominent part in Sabah's efforts during the 2015 season to secure promotion to the elite Malaysia Super League.

"I am not here as a superstar or ex-Liverpool player or ex English Premier League player," Diouf told the New Straits Times. "I am here to help show the world where Sabah is."

Diouf signed for Liverpool in 2002 following an impressive performance for Senegal in the World Cup in Korea and Japan when the African underdogs upset France and Sweden to reach the quarterfinal.

He has started training at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah stadium under the supervision of Sabah's Irish coach George O'Callaghan.

According to Sabah chief executive officer Datuk TC Goh, Diouf has signed a one-year deal with the Malaysian Premier League side.

Sabah are also looking to secure the services of other foreign recruits before the start of the 2015 season in January. Australian midfielder Mitrovic Srecko, who played for the team last year, may stay on. Also under consideration are Brazilian defender Tales Dos Santos, Libyan striker Eamon Zayed and Irishman Roy O'Donovan.

Fourteen local players have been retained from the 2014 squad and 11 more will be signed before the start of the new season in January.

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