New Everton star explains how DANCING helped turn him into Goodison Park favourite
Some older fans are even comparing Iliman Ndiayeto former maverick Everton forward Duncan McKenzie while ex Toffee Leon Osman sees shades of another past Goodison star Steven Pienaar
by John Richardson · The MirrorIliman Ndiaye is rapidly turning into Everton’s Lord of the Dance thanks to his Senegalese father.
The slalom runs through opposition defences have lit up an otherwise largely dark season so far at Goodison Park making the 24-year-old summer signing from Marseille a crowd favourite. Some older fans are even comparing the Senegal international to former maverick Everton forward Duncan McKenzie while ex Toffee and now pundit Leon Osman sees shades of another past Goodison star Steven Pienaar in the fleet footed Ndiaye.
“My dad taught me everything,” Ndiaye revealed. “It’s because of him that I am the player I am today. He was a dancer and would teach me dance moves and we’d recreate them in different ways in football.
“When I dribble with the ball I get it from him. My dad taught me loads of skills then I would watch videos of different players doing things and I would try and reenact them on the streets or wherever I could.”
Brought up in Northern France in a family of seven sisters and a brother it was a high ceiling when it came to attempting to follow in his heroes footsteps, greats like Pele, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi were rarely off his YouTube channel.
“I would watch videos of these guys until late at night to the point where I would be falling asleep watching them.” he added.
At the age of 12 the player nicknamed ‘Skili’ by his Everton team-mates had been picked up by Marseille which involved the whole family decamping to the south of France.
But 12 months later he turned his back on his favourite club – one which he would later return to – for an irresistible urge to live in Senegal, the birthplace of his father.
Now his skills were being tested on the sandy surfaces of Senegal before his father accepting a job in London cut that experience short.
Eventually there were trials at several clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs but when they didn’t come to anything unperturbed the teenage Ndiaye signed for non-league Boreham Wood.
Sheffield United soon came calling after some impressive displays although it needed a loan spell back in non-league with Hyde United to help develop his career.
Back with the Blades he helped them return to the Premier League before Marseille nipped in with a £20 million bid to bring him back to where it all started but surprisingly after just a season the French giants accepted a £15 million bid from Everton.
“I wanted to be part of that history of playing in the last ever season at Goodison Park,” he said. “It’s important we give everything we’ve got and go into the new stadium in a good place.”
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