Iliman Ndiaye hailed after what 'wonderfully gifted' Everton ace has done

Mike Hughes has hailed Iliman Ndiaye as "wonderfully gifted" and is particularly impressed by how he has performed cutting in from the left for Everton.

The attacker was brought in during the summer transfer window for a fee worth around £15million [Alan Myers, 3 July] and has since cemented his role in Sean Dyche's first team.

Writing for the BBC Sport website (13 November), BBC journalist Hughes shared his thoughts on the performances of the Senegal international this season.

"Dwight McNeil’s absence at West Ham handed the creative impetus to Iliman Ndaiye, who is a wonderfully gifted player," he wrote.

"One of his many strengths is cutting inside, particularly from the left and onto his right foot. Perhaps he could have been an alternative for the number-10 role, with Jack Harrison playing on the left".

Iliman Ndiaye is now essential to the way Everton play

It may have taken Dyche a couple of games to start integrating Ndiaye into his starting XI but when he eventually brought him in, he's never looked back.

The Toffees made many signings in the summer transfer window but Ndiaye's arrival was arguably the most important of them all.

One of the main areas the Merseyside outfit suffered in last season was that of their attack, there was a lack of forward-thinking occurring at Goodison Park and to make matters worse, nobody seemed to know how to find the back of the net.

His movement both on and off the ball is among the best in the team and it feels like without the 24-year-old within their ranks, they'd be far worse off.

Indeed, McNeil has been the main man for the Toffees this season but, as Hughes mentioned, with McNeil sidelined, the burden of Everton's creativity rests upon the shoulders of the former Sheffield United man.

It's still early in the season of course but if his form continues going this way, it's hard to see how he won't become one of, if not Dyche's best player by the end of the season.

In other Everton news, a journalist has shared his verdict on whether Sean Dyche will be sacked this season.

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