From Hyde to the Premier League - Everton's Ndiaye

Everton's summertime signing Iliman Ndiaye says he "always knew" he would beryllium a Premier League subordinate 1 time - moreover during a short spell successful non-league football.

Ndiaye, 24, joined nan Toffees this summer for astir £15m aft a "tough" play successful France pinch Marseille, wherever he managed only 3 goals.

He returns to England, wherever he played a cardinal domiciled successful helping Sheffield United execute promotion from nan Championship successful 2022-23 - arsenic good arsenic featuring 9 times successful nan Northern Premier League for Hyde United 4 years agone while connected indebtedness from nan Blades.

“I enjoyed my spell astatine Hyde," Ndiaye told BBC Sport. "I went connected indebtedness location but it sewage trim short because of Covid.

"It was my first clip playing [senior] men's shot and I learned a lot. You spell from playing pinch young players to immoderate adults who had a agelong profession successful nan National League.

"The indebtedness astatine Hyde wasn't thing to bring maine down, it was an opportunity to transportation connected playing football. I emotion playing shot - it was 1 measurement connected my measurement to nan top.

"It made maine activity harder because I ne'er thought 1 time I would beryllium astatine Hyde United. I thought aft Sheffield United, I would proceed going higher but I ever knew I would beryllium successful nan Premier League 1 day."

Everton person struggled astatine nan incorrect extremity of nan array for nan past 3 seasons, finishing 15th past word aft 2 successive final-day relegation escapes earlier that.

But Ndiaye was keen to join, saying nan club's long-standing liking successful him was a "big factor" successful moving to Merseyside.

Having sought proposal from Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, his Senegal compatriot, nan guardant said moving to Goodison was an "easy decision".

Ndiaye said: "Personally for me, it is nan champion convention successful nan world. Everyone dreams of being successful nan Premier League. It is not easy to get to it. I cognize a batch of players whose purpose was to play location but it hasn't happened yet.

“I watch football, I unrecorded football, I eat shot – erstwhile I was young, I utilized to beryllium a instrumentality of Chelsea. I watched Eden Hazard and Didier Drogba and it was astonishing watching them play."

Everton big Brighton connected Saturday arsenic they embark connected their last play astatine Goodison Park earlier moving to their caller location connected Bramley-Moore Dock for nan commencement of 2025-26.

Ndiaye said he was motivated by nan words of his daughter, saying her dada could go nan past subordinate to people a extremity astatine Goodison aliases nan first to nett astatine nan caller venue.

Speaking to BBC Sport from wrong Goodison, he added: “It will beryllium really special. I wanted to travel present earlier it leaves this place. Being portion of nan history is simply a large thing.

"I americium really excited to people a batch of goals and I americium a subordinate that likes to get fans retired of their seats.

“We each cognize nan purpose and personally I deliberation we tin extremity higher than past season. I spot immoderate really bully things astir nan squad specified arsenic togetherness, which is really important."