From Rising Ballers to the Prem

“The way I play football gets people off their seats,” says Iliman Ndiaye.

Everton fans were certainly on their feet when the midfielder netted an early goal of the season contender against Sunderland earlier this month.

After getting the ball on the right wing, he flashed past his opponents’ defence in an impressive display of speed and skill before putting it away with his weaker foot.

The Senegalese winger’s talent is taken for granted now, but he had to work hard to prove himself before landing a spot in a Premier League starting line-up.

He tells BBC Newsbeat that Rising Ballers, a media brand that uses grassroots initiatives to show off unsigned talent, was instrumental in helping him to showcase his skills.

“The things I was doing there, I wasn’t doing at other clubs. It helped me stay fit and enjoy football more, especially when you don’t have a club,” he says.

The French-born footballer did not have an easy run on his way to the top, with numerous clubs rejecting him over the years, including Chelsea and Tottenham.

He got close while with the Southampton development team, which led to a six-week trial at the club, but he didn’t make the cut.

The disappointing run continued until Boreham Wood, who are in the fifth tier of English Football, signed him in 2017.

He later went on trial at Sheffield United where he was signed for the following season when he turned 19, but he needed to stay fit before starting.

That’s when Rising Ballers came in.

“I was playing five-a-side to keep fit and one of the guys was like: ‘You’ve got to play for them’,” he recalls.

“At first, they were like: ‘No’ – because they didn’t know who I was.

“Then they said I could come in for a game and that’s where they found out about my skill.”

Only 180 of the 1.5 million boys playing organised youth football in England will ever play in the Premier League.

Despite the odds being stacked against him, Ndiaye was determined to succeed, especially after one team told his father that he wouldn’t make it as a professional.

“I have trained my whole time to be a football player and just believe in my ability,” he says.

“You know that everything that you do in training, it’s all going to pay off for one day.

“Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through.”

Rising Ballers says more than 15 players it has showcased have gone on to sign for professional clubs.

They include Jerome Richards, who plays for Derby County, and Mohamed Keita, who is at Wycombe Wanderers.

The brand taps into the power of social media by highlighting players to its millions of followers across its Instagram, YouTube and TikTok channels.

It also generates more attention by working with brands on campaigns and hosting showcase events.

Two young footballers – 18-year-old Kevar March-Mckenzie and 20-year-old George Edwards – are trying to follow in Ndiaye’s footsteps.

At 16, Kevar was rejected after a three-week trial at Coventry, while George was part of many academies.

Now, both have taken part in Rising Baller showcase games, where a group of grassroots players in London play in front of scouts.

Both see Ndiaye as an inspiration to those who still haven’t been signed.

Kevar says everyone around him sees Ndiaye as a “role model” as “he was the one who made it”.

George grew up playing in junior squads for Arsenal, Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers before he stopped growing at around age 13 to 14.

“Everywhere I went I was told I was too small. I want to keep carrying on and prove them all wrong,” he says.

“People would look at me and Kevar and probably think we’ve got no chance, but Iliman inspires us. He signed a professional contract at 19. Look at him now.”

Academies remain the most likely way into a professional football career.

According to a report by the Premier League’s Elite Performance Plan, over 11% of its top-level academy graduates go on to play at least 20 professional league games.

And the English Football League – which represents clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two – say more homegrown academy players are now playing in their teams.

Ndiaye believes his journey can be a source of inspiration for those who are not part of an academy.

“It’s not easy being in an academy, but it’s easier than those who are not in it, as they don’t have that pathway,” he says.

“So, you’ve just got to stay focused, train how they train, always stay sharp and take your chance when it comes.”

He feels his time at Rising Ballers helped him to become a professional after suffering so much rejection.

“When you have that atmosphere, it keeps you going.”

He says he will let others decide if he is the best “baller” in the Premier League, but he certainly puts himself up there.

“If I didn’t score after my dribble against Sunderland, people would say they like the skill, but people would say I didn’t finish after it.

“I don’t just try and dribble, I try and get goals and assists.

“Premier League players are not going to let you get past them, you’ve got to work for it.”

In terms of what makes a baller, Ndiaye says it’s simple.

“For me, it’s skills,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be a rainbow flick.

“The way you dribble past three, four players in the Prem, that’s skills to me.”

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