Ndiaye was unable to speak a word of English and had no football club to join upon his arrival after arriving in the country once his father move to London for work.
“I was 14 when I got to England. Me and one of my younger sisters moved in with my dad but neither of us spoke English, which was a challenge when we started school at Westminster Academy,” he laughs. “We had a French teacher and he taught us some things easy quickly, to be honest. Within two or three months, I had nailed down all of the basics.
“School wasn’t my thing, to be honest, so all I needed was to learn English! I was too busy counting down to lunchtime so I could get out and play football again.”
Ndiaye had a passion for football that started at an early age and he finally earned his lucky break as he moved to Boreham Wood at the age of 16.
“It was an unusual one,” admits Ndiaye. “I had been in England for four or five years when it happened. The year after my GCSEs, I didn’t have a team or anything then, so I was looking for teams to play for and then I saw a course where you do your education and football at the same time.
“A lot of people who wanted to do the course didn’t have the GCSEs to get on the education side; without the education, you can’t do the football. It ended up that the course couldn’t go ahead but, fortunately, my course manager knew Boreham Wood’s Academy Director (Cameron Mawer) and asked him if we could come for trials. He agreed and we went and that’s how that move ended up coming about. I was the only one of the 14 of us who was kept on.”
From there the 24-year-old had a sharp rise to the top before making a significant move back to Marseille last summer which eventually led to interest from Everton.
“I knew about Everton’s interest from when I was at Sheffield United,” reveals Ndiaye. “It feels really nice to know the Club and the people have that appreciation for you, especially after I’d had a tough season with Marseille. Now it’s my turn to go and repay the trust they’ve put in me with my performances on the pitch. That’s what I want to do.
“I see some similarities (between Everton and Marseille). They are two huge clubs, historic clubs with their own stories. Football is such a huge thing in the two areas and to the supporters of both clubs. I have only been here for a short time but you can see already how Evertonians get behind their players, even in pre-season. I am learning more things about Everton every day and that’s something I’ve been keen to do, of course. But, above all, I just can’t wait to get out there and play and contribute.
“I feel like I’m suited to what the manager wants. From very early on in my career, I was told to do the hard work first and the rest will follow. I’ve stuck by that. I think that’s the same kind of philosophy here – everyone works hard and every player brings their own qualities and attributes to make it a full performance. You have to bring your own piece to it – for me, I can bring my skills, scoring goals, making assists, plus the hard work for each other.”
The young midfielder could prove to be a vital asset for Everton this season as the club look to end their final season at Goodison Park with a bang.