#1 Ali Dia
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The obvious number one on this list, Ali Dia has since been labelled as one of the greatest sporting con artists of all time. It was on the 23rd of November 1996, that Dia made his first appearance for Southampton, having come on as a substitute for Matt Le Tissier. And in one of the most bizarre and extraordinary signings of the Premier League, Dia managed to play nearly a total of 53 minutes before being subbed off himself by manager Graeme Souness.
The story has been repeated a thousand times. Dia claimed to have played 13 international games for Senegal and also to be the cousin of former World cup winner George Weah.
Graeme Souness, the then manager, reportedly got a call from someone who claimed to be the former World Cup winner and that person went on to vouch for Dia’s football credentials. Souness signed the player to a 30-day contract, without having seen him play a proper game other than a five-a-side match.
The midfielder nearly scored a goal but floundered very badly, according to Souness. Dia was not the player he claimed to be and was then subbed off after 53 minutes. Matt Le Tissier, the player Dia came on for compared him to “Bambi on ice” and even went on to say, “It was very, very embarrassing to watch. We were like: ‘What’s this geezer doing? He’s hopeless.’ Graeme named him as a sub and we couldn’t believe it."
