Iliman Ndiaye is Everton’s trump card… the new signing can lead their team back to the top of the table

One of the criticisms Sean Dyche faced last season was the predictability of Everton’s game plans, but new signing Iliman Ndiaye provides the perfect antidote.

The French-born Senegal international, 24, is now Dyche’s ace in the pack. To boil it down to the most basic terms, Ndiaye gets butts off the seats and has an unorthodox nature that outshines experienced defenders.

That was certainly the case for the Foxes on Saturday, as the summer signing scored his first ever Premier League goal in a 1-1 draw, receiving the ball in a tight space, squirming free of two defenders and firing a hard, low shot into the corner.

Ndiaye joins from Marseille for £15.6million and given Everton’s well-documented financial problems (one of the main causes of which can be attributed to historic transfer scandals) this looks like one of the smartest deals in the Premier League this summer.

Ndiaye was originally part of the Boreham Wood squad before joining Sheffield United – he was their star player in the promotion season under Paul Heckingbottom – and was first spotted by top scouts when he played in a refereeing practice match to test VAR at St George’s Park, a game in which he danced through the opposing team to score a stunning individual goal.

Iliman Ndiaye scored his first Premier League goal as Everton drew with Leicester

The 24-year-old gave his team the lead in the 12th minute at the King Power Stadium

Everton would draw with Leicester but the point means Sean Dyche’s side can finally move higher

“He’s a raw talent, as you see in YouTube videos… there are a lot of people who can do that with the ball, but they’re not professional footballers,” said Heckingbottom, his former coach who now plays for Preston.

‘His work ethic is first class. In a short space of time it’s just been improvement, improvement, improvement. Everton fans are going to love him.’

It’s early days for Ndiaye, but those Evertonians are starting to do just that. With the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite almost fully fit again — and new striker Armando Broja adding a new dimension when fit — Dyche’s men can look to climb the table after this satisfying draw. Ndiaye can help lead that attack.