And Diao has said the reason for that was to prove his ability in the Premiership.
He said, "Gerard Houllier wouldn't have spent £5 million on me if he didn't feel I had good qualities as a midfielder and with an extended run in the Premiership this season, I'm confident people will at last see the real Salif Diao."
The Senegalese international added, "While there was interest from a number of clubs in Spain and also Fiorentina in Italy, I decided to join Pompey because I am determined to prove myself as a success in this country. A lot of rubbish has been spoken about me these past few months, but hopefully I now have the platform to show exactly what I can do."
And Diao was eager to point to various obstacles which stood in his path of first team success at Anfield.
"Injuries have not helped my cause, either at Liverpool or when I was on loan at Birmingham towards the end of last season. Even in this current pre-season at Anfield, my calf problem flared up again but I finally got to play last week in a reserve game against Newcastle United and came through the 90 minutes unscathed," he added.