By Mark Heys
September 28 2006

El-Hadji Diouf is no longer the volitile character that many portray him to be according to team mate and current Wanderers skipper Kevin Nolan. In the past Diouf has often been a target for opposition supporters and players alike due to his seemingly short fuse but Nolan states that the Senegal front man is more able to control his aggression on the field nowadays.

At the tail end of last season the former African Player of the Year was dropped by Bolton manager Sam Allardyce because of an alleged lack of fitness and commitment but the player has since responded by putting in a number of excellent performances so far this term, including the last game against high flying Portsmouth.

"Dioufy's been different class since he came back," Nolan told yesterday's edition of The Bolton News.

"He's fully committed. That's why he does boil over sometimes, because he is 110 percent. He does wear his heart on his sleeve, but I think his aggression is totally controlled now and I've been absolutely delighted with him.

"When he came back in pre-season, he started off a bit behind the rest of the lads because he was out for four months, maybe longer, last season. But you can't fault his commitment now, or the way he is playing."