From rising footballers to the Prem

“The way I play football makes people get up out of their seats,” says Elimane Ndiaye.

Everton fans were certainly on their feet when the midfielder scored an early goal for the season contender against Sunderland earlier this month.

Having won the ball on the right wing, he raced past his opponents’ defense in a brilliant display of speed and skill before curling it in with his weaker foot.

The Senegalese winger’s talent is taken for granted now, but he had to work hard to prove himself before earning a place in the Premier League starting line-up.

He told BBC Newsbeat that Rising Ballers, a media brand that uses grassroots initiatives to showcase unsigned talent, was instrumental in helping him showcase his skills.

“The things I was doing there, I wasn’t doing at other clubs,” he says. “It helped me keep fit and enjoy football more, especially when you don’t have a club.”

The French-born footballer’s career has not been easy on his way to the top, as he has been rejected by several clubs over the years, including Chelsea and Tottenham.

He came very close while with Southampton’s development squad, leading to a six-week trial at the club, but did not make the cut.

The disappointing run continued until Boreham Wood, who play in the fifth tier of English football, signed him in 2017.

He later went on trial at Sheffield United where he was signed for the following season when he turned 19, but needed to maintain his fitness before starting.

That’s when Rising Ballers came along.

“I was playing with five players to maintain my fitness, and one of the players said to me: ‘You have to play with them,’” he recalls.

“At first they said, ‘No, because they didn’t know who I was.

He added: “Then they said that I could participate in one of the matches, and there they discovered my skill.”

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

Despite the difficulties he faced, Ndiaye was determined to succeed, especially after a team told his father that he would not turn pro.

“I trained all my time to be a footballer and I believe in my abilities,” he says.

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

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

Rising Ballers says more than 15 players it has showcased have signed with professional clubs.

They include Jerome Richards, who plays for Derby County, and Mohamed Keita, who plays for Wycombe Wanderers.

The brand leverages the power of social media by highlighting gamers to its millions of followers across its Instagram, YouTube and TikTok channels.

He also generates more interest by working with brands on campaigns and hosting showcase events.

Two young footballers – 18-year-old Kevar Marsh-McKenzie and 20-year-old George Edwards – are trying to follow in Ndiaye’s footsteps.

At the age of sixteen, Kevar was rejected after a three-week trial at Coventry, while George was part of several academies.

Now, they’ve both taken part in the Rising Baller Exhibition Games, where a group of popular players in London play in front of scouts.

They both see Ndiaye as an inspiration to those yet to sign.

Kevar says everyone around him considers N’Diaye a “role model” because “he made it happen.”

George grew up playing in the youth teams of Arsenal, Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers before he stopped growing at around the age of 13 to 14 years old.

“Everywhere I went, I was told I was too small. I want to keep moving forward and prove them all wrong,” he says.

“People would look at me and Kevar and maybe think we have no chance, but Elliman inspires us. He signed a professional contract when he was 19. Look at him now.”

Academies remain the most likely route to a professional football career.

According to a report by the Premier League Elite Performance Plan, more than 11% of top-level academy graduates go on to play at least 20 games in the professional league.

The English Football League – which represents clubs in League One and League Two – says more local academy players are now playing for their teams.

Ndiaye believes his journey can be an inspiration to those who are not part of the academy.

“It’s not easy to be in the academy, but it’s easier for those who aren’t in it, because they don’t have that path,” he says.

“So, you just have to stay focused, train the way they train, always stay alert and take your opportunity when it comes.”

He feels that his time at Rising Ballers helped him become a professional after going through a lot of rejection.

“When you have that atmosphere, it keeps you going.”

He says he will let others decide whether he is the best ‘baller’ in the Premier League, but he certainly puts himself out there.

“If I don’t score after my dribble against Sunderland, people will say they love that skill, but people will say I didn’t finish the game then.

He added: “I’m not just trying to dribble, I’m trying to score goals and assists.

“Premier League players won’t let you pass them, you have to work for it.”

As for what makes a footballer, Ndiaye says it’s simple.

“For me, it’s the skills,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be a rainbow flick.

“The way he dribbled past three or four players in the Premier League is a skill for me.”

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