Vitalii Mykolenko has heaped praise on Everton team-mate Iliman Ndiaye for his technical ability
Vitalii Mykolenko of Everton applauds the fans following the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
Vitalii Mykolenko of Everton applauds the fans following the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
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Vitalii Mykolenko believes Iliman Ndiaye is one of most technically gifted players he has shared a pitch with. The Ukraine international has faced the likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah in his time at Everton.
But the star who shines brightest for Mykolenko is his Everton team-mate. The words are high praise for the 25-year-old given the calibre of opposition the full-back has faced in his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside, as well as with Dynamo Kyiv and on the international scene.
He said: “To be honest, I only played for Dynamo, the Ukrainian national team and Everton.
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“But I played against players in the Premier League and I haven't seen such a technical person, with such a first touch and dribbling as Iliman.
"He's just a top footballer, a top person.
"Honestly, I get a kick out of it even when he beats me, because sometimes it just happens that he just gets around like [with] a chip in training.
"I hope he'll only get better."
Ndiaye joined the Blues from Marseille in the summer of 2024 and spent his first season operating in front of Mykolenko on the left, both under Sean Dyche and then David Moyes.
That partnership has been disrupted by Ndiaye’s move to the right this season following the arrival of another gifted playmaker Mykolenko appears to rank Ndiaye ahead of on the above terms, Jack Grealish.
Ndiaye has enjoyed an impressive start to the season despite being moved from his favoured position.
He has four Premier League goals for the campaign to date, including the first to be scored at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal on December 15, meaning the last game he will be available to Moyes this year will the trip to Chelsea on December 13.
He and team-mate Idrissa Gueye could miss up to seven league and FA Cup games should Senegal, one of the favourites for the tournament, reach the final.
Everton return to action on Saturday at home to Nottingham Forest, who are now managed by their former boss Dyche.
The Blues will go into that game on the back of a 1-0 win at Bournemouth.