“His pathway has been incredible and that has given him a lot of strength. He is so strong mentally. He believes in himself and he works hard,” Boulaye Dia, his Senegal teammate, told ESPN prior to the England match. “He is a really good kid who listens and wants to learn and improve. I am not surprised to see him at this level, in the World Cup. After everything he went through, it is incredible.”
After coming off the bench against Qatar and assisting Bamba Dieng for his side’s third goal in a 3-1 win, his performance against Ecuador from the start was superb. He played as a right midfielder, completing four dribbles out of five, created a chance and did an excellent defensive job on Pervis Estupinan, the Ecuadorian left-back, who is one of his team’s best weapons. “Iliman was fantastic tonight. Because of where he came from, he doesn’t feel any pressure. He goes out there and plays his game,” teammate Idrissa Gueye told ESPN after that 2-1 win. “He was a bit shy the first time he came with us, but now he is showing all his talent.”
He did have a tougher time against England. Ndiaye played just behind Dia, as a hybrid No. 10/second striker and showed great energy again, trying to stop the ball getting to Declan Rice. He wished that he could have impacted the game more with the ball at his feet, but on such a big occasion, he can’t be too disappointed by his performance. After all the sacrifices, this game almost felt like a reward.
“He never gave up,” his first coach at Rouen, Hassan Talani, told ESPN. “He was a little prodigy with a real gift when he was young but he had to find his way. It was tough for him but he never stopped believing working and now he is rewarded.
After years of struggle, Ndiaye shone at the World Cup and showed that this is where he belongs. Some Premier League clubs didn’t have to wait for him to play against Ecuador or England in order to notice his talent. There is a lot of interest around him and it will only increase after the tournament. While Ndiaye is under contract at Sheffield United until June 2024 and is focused is on getting the Blades promoted to the top flight this season, sources tell ESPN that concrete offers could be coming in January.
Whatever happens, you can bet Ndiaye will be confident and ready.
