WANDERERS won’t be in the dark about El-Hadji Diouf’s tricks at the Stadium of Light.

Gary Megson knows all about the threat posed by his former charge, rating the enigmatic attacker’s close control as the best he has ever seen.

Diouf earned a reputation in his four years at the Reebok for winning free-kicks around the penalty area with his dribbling ability. And it is for that reason Megson has warned his defenders that they must watch for the Senegal star’s quick feet, if Black Cats boss Roy Keane grants him a first-team return against his old club.

“I have played and worked with some top-drawer players, but Diouffy’s control was as good as I have ever witnessed,” the manager said.

“I think in some ways we are a better team without him but one thing we do miss is the amount of free-kicks he can gain for you.

“He doesn’t cheat to do it but if he plays, we will have to watch out very carefully.

“He carries the ball so close to his feet that he does draw a lot of fouls.

“It is something we are very wary of and something we do miss about having him in the team.”

Whether Diouf gets a chance to face his former team-mates is another matter. He has been out of the side since being found in a nightclub on the eve of a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea with team-mates Djibril Cisse and Pascal Chimbonda and was forced to play for the reserves in midweek. But Megson expects Sunderland’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham last week will convince Keane to give him another go.

“There are some things, off the pitch, that he needs to do a little bit better but it goes with the territory. It’s Diouffy,” he said.

“He is lively and he takes some handling but Roy will know that, I’m sure.”

Even after his Reebok exit, Diouf continues to divide opinion among his former colleagues in the dressing room. Some of the senior players were upset by the comments he made at the end of last season, in particular those which suggested he would leave the club whether they survived relegation or not.

Skipper Kevin Nolan believes the club made the right decision to take Sunderland’s £2.5million in July but wished his former colleague well.

“He still had a couple of years on his contract but he made his mind up, so I think it was the right thing for the club to get rid of him and for us to move on,” he said.

“As I’ve always said, I’d rather play with lads who want to be here and want to play for this club than people who don’t and, at the end, I think Diouffy just wanted to get away.”

The midfielder added: “You miss a character like Diouffy around the dressing room but he’s gone on to other things now and good luck to him. I’m sure all the lads will look forward to seeing him tomorrow and hopefully he’ll play against us.

“We were definitely sorry to see him go but he made it clear at the end of the season that he wanted to go. I wish him well – just not this time.”