Back in May 2019, teenager Iliman Ndiaye scored on his Rising Ballers debut in a Sunday League clash against reigning Camden League champions Gower FC. Three years later and the highly-rated Senegal international is about to play against England in a World Cup knockout game.
It has been a remarkable journey for the Rouen-born playmaker, who couldn't speak a word of English when he moved to London at 14. After growing up in France, he honed his talent in the Marseille academy before moving to Senegal to be with his family.
Eventually, after moving to the UK, he joined Rising Ballers – a team that gives undiscovered youth players the coverage needed to maximise their chances of becoming professional footballers. Iliman flourished under manager Mahrez Bettache and word soon got out about his talents.
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At the time, he was also playing for Boreham Wood's youth team. Cameron Mawer, who worked with Ndiaye at the Non-League club, couldn't believe what he was seeing on the pitch. “He had it all, from the moment we first saw him,” he told The Star.
“He was frightening. He would sit defenders down – experienced, seasoned reserve players from senior clubs – and you thought: ‘Wow’. After about a minute of seeing him, I knew he was proper. I was looking around me, thinking: “Has anyone seen this kid? Where has he come from?”
After impressing at both Rising Ballers and Boreham Wood, the attacking midfielder earned a move to Sheffield United in 2019 before going out on loan to Northern Premier League side Hyde after struggling to nail down a permanent place in their Under-23s squad.
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Soon, though, he would become the Championship's most exciting player. To put his talent into perspective, Blades defender Chris Basham opened up on what it's like to come up against Iliman.
"Every opposition player is scared of him and we're scared of him in training," he told Yorkshire Live. "On the pitch we just want to get him the ball. He's been fantastic and he's getting the goals. I wrote at the start of the season how effective he would be and he's showing that in abundance on the pitch."
The 23-year-old burst onto the scene by scoring a brace on his full league debut against Peterborough last season, and went on to net seven times in 35 appearances in all competitions. As a result, plenty of clubs were eyeing up a potential move for the player, including Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest.
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After an impressive start to the 2022/23 campaign, which has included nine goals in 21 appearances for Sheffield United, the club are said to be 'braced' for bids in the upcoming January transfer window. And well, Iliman has already impressed with Senegal at this winter's World Cup.
He notched an assist on his tournament debut against hosts Qatar before earning more minutes in their next group stage game against Ecuador. It'll come as no surprise to learn that he is expected to feature against England in their round of 16 clash on Sunday night.
One thing is for sure; Iliman Ndiaye has the potential to give the likes of Harry Maguire and John Stones some serious problems with his incredible technical ability at the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday night. Sadio Mane may be out, but Senegal have a great replacement in the 22-year-old.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/YouTube - Rising BallersTopics: Senegal, Sheffield United, Football World Cup, England
