Senegalese international and Everton player Iliman Ndiaye has recounted his personal and sporting journey, from his early days in Senegal to the Premier League, in an intimate video titled “My Story” released by his club on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
In the video, Ndiaye reflects on the numerous rejections he faced and the unwavering support of his family that fueled his rise to prominence.
Despite his dream of becoming a professional footballer, Ndiaye admitted to experiencing multiple setbacks. “People told my father, in front of me, ‘He’ll never become a professional footballer,'” he recalled. He also shared a particularly disheartening moment when, after a trial, a club told his parents directly, “We’re not going to sign you.”
Born in Rouen, France, Ndiaye grew up in a large family and discovered football in Senegal, where he lived from the age of one. “My grandfather bought me my first ball,” he said, describing the beginnings of his passion on the sandy streets of Dakar. Upon returning to France, his father diligently filmed his matches to help him improve.
After playing for Rouen-Sapin and FC Rouen, Ndiaye chose to try out for Olympique de Marseille, his boyhood club, rather than Paris Saint-Germain. He continued his development in Senegal, where he estimates he played “20 hours a day” on informal pitches.
Upon returning to England, Ndiaye faced the additional challenge of not speaking the language. “The only word I knew was rainbow,” he revealed. Despite trials at major clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace, he was consistently turned down. “I was young, they already had other players like me,” he analyzed.
Ndiaye then joined a sports and education program and later played for Boreham Wood, where he was eventually scouted by Sheffield United. “In January or February, they told me they wanted to sign me for the following season,” he recounted.
Following a brief period back at Olympique de Marseille, the 24-year-old Ndiaye signed a five-year contract with Everton. He now begins a new chapter in his Premier League career, hoping to establish himself permanently at the highest level with the Merseyside club.
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