Premier League preview: Sunderland vs Liverpool

El-Hadji Diouf admits his bling-tastic image has earned him a hammering from his new team-mates at Sunderland.

The Senegalese striker has livened up Roy Keane's dressing room with his brightly-coloured outfits plus a diamond-laden pendant, two encrusted rings and even a tooth that sparkles with a diamond stud.

But he is paying for his flash gear, with team-mates hiding his worst items so he had nothing to wear.

Diouf has earned a reputation as the Premier League's bad boy after controversies that have included spitting, and winding-up opponents and crowds.

But off the pitch Diouf could not be a more contrasting character proving himself a generous and engaging personality, as well as adding some attitude to Keane's Black Cats.

He has even discovered the perfect way to banish the bad headlines that have sometimes accompanied his career-he is launching his own monthly newspaper in Senegal, Eleven Star, and runs his own charity project.

Diouf will make his Stadium of Light debut today against former club Liverpool and said: "I'm special, just like I am on the pitch. I like the nice clothes, the taste in colour. We need that banter in the training room. Pascal Chimbonda doesn't compare to me. I am a fashion victim and Pascal is just a victim. Look at me, what's the problem?

"My medallion diamonds are in the initials of my family. My mum, my wife and my daughter. Everything on me is diamond. It all goes in my locker. I trust my team-mates, they have more money than me!"

Skipper Dean Whitehead revealed: "Dioufy has some naughty gear. Chimbonda has also been arriving in green some days. They are good lads.

"The clothes get hung up in the dressing room all of the time. They have not been burned yet but maybe they should be! Green trainers, tracksuits, they could end up anywhere."

Diouf has spent time away from the game developing his Dioufy Foundation and doing charity work with Akon, the Senegal-US hip-hop singer and songwriter.

Akon, who also owns a diamond mine in South Africa, is his close mate and Diouf said: "My charity is very big. Me and Akon do everything together and we grew up together. We are the two most famous people in Senegal right now.

"We do things together because we are lucky. I'm a footballer, he's a rap star. We earn good money and we like to help people back home.

"Some teams over in Senegal don't have a shirt, don't have boots and we are helping that.

"My charity has a slogan and that is 'Give The Kids A Chance'. It's a schools project. And two weeks ago me and Akon went to see it.

"The first thing I set up in Senegal was Eleven Holdings, a company that looks after me and my interests.

"I'm opening a newspaper in a month's time, it will be called Eleven Star. It will be monthly with sports and everything."

Diouf says he feels like he has been at Sunderland for a year, as he has been made so welcome. He says he had an "excellent" relationship with Liverpool fans but had to leave because of Gerard Houllier.

He added: "I told Rick Parry I had too many problems and that I wanted to leave. I thought Gerard Houllier was staying and he was my problem.

"He would not allow me to go to the African Nations Cup. If I don't go to the African Nations, people in Senegal would burn my house."

On his reputation Diouf added: "In the whole of my career I have only ever had three red cards.

"I think I only had five yellow cards and that was because referees watched me a lot. Sometimes I have felt like the victim."

Chimbonda doesn't compare to me. I am a fashion victim and Pascal is just a victim."