Sheffield United faithful will never forget impact of 2019 gamble: View | OneFootball

Sheffield United gambled on a little-known Iliman Ndiaye in 2019, but he lit up Bramall Lane and vindicated their faith tenfold

Sheffield United dared to make a bold transfer call in 2019 by signing the then-unknown Iliman Ndiaye from National League outfit Boreham Wood and their gamble ultimately paid dividends.

Ndiaye was hardly a household name at the time and the Blades have made moves to sign more high-profile players as of late.

Following relegation from the Premier League and a subsequent squad exodus of many long-term stalwarts leaving upon the end of their deals, Chris Wilder embarked upon a productive summer transfer window by acquiring the likes of Kieffer Moore, Harrison Burrows, Tyrese Campbell, Michael Cooper, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi among others, while retaining star midfielder Gus Hamer.

Indeed, he has constructed a squad more than capable of replicating the Blades' promotion feat of the 2022/23 campaign, which was all orchestrated by Ndiaye.

Sheffield United's 2019 Iliman Ndiaye transfer gamble paid off

Sheffield United supporters can now be forgiven for having asked who even was Ndiaye when the club first signed him all the way back in 2019. The playmaker was just 19 years of age at the time and had been plying his trade in the youth setup at Boreham Wood, whom he had joined three years prior after moving to England from France.

Those in the loop with the age-group game may have been somewhat more familiar with Ndiaye, who had played for semi-professional club and renowned youth football outfit Rising Ballers. Largely, though, he was an unknown quantity.

Ndiaye made his debut for the Blades in the 2020/21 campaign before establishing himself as a regular in the Championship the following season. He offered the Bramall Lane faithful a sign of what was to come by scoring twice in an emphatic 6-2 victory over Peterborough United in September and went on to find the back of the net on seven occasions in his first full season.

The potential of the attacking midfielder was patently clear to everyone associated with United by the time the 2022/23 season rolled around. But at that point, it was announced to the footballing world.

Ndiaye was classes above the Championship all year long, scoring 14 goals and making a further 10 assists to fire his side back to the top flight in second place.

Elegant, quick off the mark, and with bags of flair and invention, Ndiaye lit up the division and was simply unstoppable at points. He made no less than 112 successful dribbles and created 51 chances, providing the requisite X-factor and stardust in a typically pragmatic Paul Heckingbottom side.

United supporters still regard Ndiaye among the most naturally gifted players to grace the club, and rightly so. One could quite reasonably argue for the same label at Championship level full stop, such was the ease with which Ndiaye operated.

Despite helping his side return to the Premier League, the 21-cap Senegal international left the Steel City that summer to rejoin Marseille, which had been both his boyhood club and the academy side he played for a year before moving across the channel. Eventually, the Blades "reluctantly accepted" a £20m offer from the French giants, according to reports.

Iliman Ndiaye's career after leaving Sheffield United

Ndiaye's homecoming on the Mediterranean coast ultimately proved to be a disappointment for all parties, as he failed to live up to the expectations back at Marseille.

Despite undertaking a hugely promising summer window which also included the arrivals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Joaquin Correa, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and ex-Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, Marseille ended up finishing in eighth place - closer to the relegation zone than top spot.

Ndiaye scored just four times and made three assists from 46 appearances across all competitions before Roberto De Zerbi decided to offload him to Everton this summer for a sum in the region of £15m.

The 24-year-old will now be looking to seize his first real opportunity in English football's top tier with both hands, despite the early struggles endured by Sean Dyche's side.

Nonetheless, Ndiaye has gotten off to a strong start at Goodison Park. He opened his account for the club in a 3-0 EFL Cup second-round victory over Doncaster Rovers and his initial outings in the Premier League indicate that he can be the bright creative spark in Dyche's rigid system.

Sheffield United will be hoping that this move goes much better for Ndiaye. Regardless, though, the fact two clubs have spent a combined £35m on his signature in the last year only further shows how well the Blades' gamble paid off in the first place.