Iliman Ndiaye’s rise from Sunday league to Senegal World Cup ace

03-Dec-2022 07:30:38 | Guardian

Sheffield United’s rising star is preparing to face England in Qatar after a formative spell in the Northern Premier League

Iliman Ndiaye wanted to perfect his skills so much they had to turn off the lights at Hyde United’s Ewen Fields to make sure he got the last train home. Being sent on loan from the Premier League to the seventh tier may not seem like the most attractive proposition for a teenager but the Sheffield United forward embraced his spell in the Northern Premier League.

Ndiaye, 22, who will face England with Senegal in the World Cup on Sunday, had been playing Sunday league football in the months before Sheffield United took him on a week’s trial in 2019 after he was spotted by the scout Steve Holmes. Ndiaye played in two trial matches and impressed the coaches with his fitness, aggression and skill. They offered a contract but he almost did not join because Marseille, where he had spent time in the academy as a young boy, were due compensation. Holmes and the coach Travis Binnion convinced United to pay up.