From rising buckets of prem

“The way I play football gets people on their seats,” Iliman NdiYee said.

Everon fans were certainly on their toes when the midfielder scored an early goal during the contender against Sunderland earlier this month.

After winning the ball on the right wing, he targeted his opponents’ defense in an impressive display of speed and skill before slotting it onto his weaker foot.

The talent of the Wenegalese Winger is taken now, but he must work to prove himself before landing a place that starts in the line.

He told BBC Newsbeat that Rising Ballers, a media brand that uses grassroots initiatives to showcase unsigned talent, has helped him showcase his skills.

“The things I did there, I didn’t do at other clubs. It helped me stay fit and enjoy football, especially when you don’t have a club,” he said.

The French-born footballer has not had an easy run to the top, with several clubs rejecting him over the years, including Chelsea and Tottenham.

He came close while with the Southampton Development Team, leading to a six-week trial at the club, but he did not make the cut.

The disappointing run continued until Orem wood, which is in the fifth tier of Football Football, signed him in 2017.

He later followed Sheffield United where he was signed for the following season when he was 19, but he had to stay fit before starting.

That’s when the rise of ballers came in.

“I played five parts to keep fit and one of the guys was like: ‘You’ve got to play for them’,” he recalled.

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

“Then they said I could go for a game and that’s where they knew my skills.”

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

Despite the odds stacked against him, Ndiuyon was determined to succeed, especially after a team told his father he would not make it as a professional.

“I train all my time to be a football player and just believe in my ability,” he said.

“You know that everything you do in training, it will all pay off one day.

“Don’t focus on rejection and one day your luck will come.”

The rise of ballers says that more than 15 players have shown it to sign for professional clubs.

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

The brand taps into the power of social media by promoting players to millions of followers on its instagram, youtube and Tiktok Channels.

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

Two young footballers – 18-year-old Kevar Marso-Mcenkenzie and 20-year-old George Edwards – are looking to follow in the footsteps of NDIAYE.

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

Now, the two share in the rise of baller showcase games, where a group of Grassroots players in London Play in front of the Scouts.

Both see NDIAYE as an inspiration to the unsigned.

Kevar said that everyone around him saw Ndoyaye as a “role model” as “he made it”.

George played in the junior squads for Arsenal, Tottenham and Queens Park Raers before he stopped growing at the age of 13 to 14.

“Everywhere I go I’m told it’s too little. I want to keep going and prove them all wrong,” he said.

“People will look at me and Kevar and maybe think we don’t have a chance, but Iliman inspires us. He signed a professional contract at 19. Look at him now.”

Academics remain the most likely path to a professional football career.

According to a report by Proceme League’s Elite League Plan, more than 11% of the league’s seniors graduate with at least 20 league games.

And the English football league – which represents clubs in the championship, league one and league two – is said to have more Homegown Academy players playing in their teams.

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

“It’s not easy to go to an academy, but it’s easier than not here, because they don’t have that path,” he said.

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

He feels his time on the rise of ballers helped him become a professional after enduring many rejections.

“When you’re in that environment, it keeps you going.”

He says he’ll give it to others if he’s the best “baller” in the Premier League, but he’s certainly put himself up there.

“If I hadn’t scored after my dribble against Sunderland, people would have said they wanted skill, but people would have said I didn’t finish after that.

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

“The players in the Premier League don’t let you add to it, you have to work for it.”

In terms of what makes a baller, Ndiuyon says it is simple.

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

“The way you glorify three, four players in the prem, that skill for me.”

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