Vitalii Mykolenko and Gareth Barry heap credit on a star who will be the subject of high-profile interest in the summer
14:00, 07 Apr 2026Updated 15:01, 07 Apr 2026
Iliman Ndiaye leaps onto the back of Beto as the Everton players celebrate during their win over Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Vitalii Mykolenko has become adept at nullifying big names like Bukayo Saka and Mo Salah but there is one winger he would prefer to avoid – Iliman Ndiaye.
The Everton defender has been reunited with the Senegal international on the left of David Moyes’s first team since the injury suffered by Jack Grealish and Ndiaye’s return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
And it is through watching his ability in games and in training that Mykolenko has concluded a match-up against his teammate might be better avoided.
Mykolenko, speaking of the threat Ndiaye is capable of providing, said: “If you play the ball to him, he can make everything, he can create, he can do anything with the ball. I think he’s the most skilful player in the Premier League at the moment.
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“Just play to his feet [if you want to play to his strengths], so it’s easy”, he told Everton’s club media ahead of the trip to Brentford on Saturday. “Then, he will create everything from a few yards, he needs just a few yards. If you’ve seen his skills, it’s incredible. I don’t like to play against players like him.”
Those are big words from the Ukraine international, who has earned a reputation for excelling against the best right wingers in the Premier League. Ndiaye did start this campaign on Everton’s right with Grealish occupying the slot ahead of Mykolenko before the stress fracture that ruined the second half of his season.
From that position he scored the first competitive goal at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, breaking the deadlock in the 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion. Another highlight was his superb individual goal in the draw at Sunderland.
It is those performances away from his favoured position on the left that have led former Blues midfielder Gareth Barry to fear Liverpool would be tempted to consider him as a replacement for the departure of Salah at the end of the campaign.
He told Boyle Sports: “As an ex-Evertonian, I don’t want to see any Everton players to Liverpool, especially Iliman Ndiaye. He’s an incredible player. When I’ve seen him live, he’s one of those that really does get you off your seat.
“Not many players do the sort of things he does these days. He loves to just take on players, dribble, try and beat them one on one, gets the fans off their seats. I wouldn’t be surprised if big teams, European Champions League teams are looking at him
“A direct replacement for Salah with probably a bit different sort of player. Ndiaye sort of drifts inside a little bit more, so I think Liverpool should look elsewhere.”
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