Everton's English midfielder #08 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates scoring the team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, north west England on August 22, 2026. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye celebrate together after the former puts Everton in front against Crystal Palace (Image: PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images)
View Image
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall says he loves playing alongside Iliman Ndiaye and has backed the winger to stay at Everton.
With Ndiaye having turned down several new contract offers this year and then spoken of his desire to play Champions League football, his future has been subject to intense speculation this summer. However, Everton remain adamant that the 26-year-old is not for sale.
And the Senegalese showed why the Blues are so determined to keep him with a superb performance in the 2-0 opening day win over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
His fantastic cross allowed Thierno Barry to head home and double the advantage after Dewsbury-Hall had opened the scoring with an unstoppable shot.
Everton player ratings as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 9/10 and three 8/10 in winning start to season
Everton player ratings as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 9/10 and three 8/10 in winning start to season
And the first goalscorer said: “I absolutely love Ili. I could wax lyrical about him for so long. He's one of my favourite footballers and it’s a fantastic cross — he put it on a sixpence for Barry. We know he’s one of the best players in the league when he’s firing.
“I just love playing with him and the thing I love even more is he’s so humble. Such a humble lad, a family man, he works hard and long may it continue.”
Addressing the speculation over Ndiaye’s future, Dewsbury-Hall added: “Of course [you get that]. But when you’re a top player, you’re always going to have people wanting you.
“But I’m hoping we're trying to build something at this club where we keep all of our best players. In the next couple of years, we want to be in Europe and for that to happen, we need to keep our best players and then also blood younger lads, which we’re trying to do.
“I’m just going to enjoy him while he’s here. I think he will be here as well, so happy days.”
In late July, Ndiaye’s father Mouhamadou Abdoulaye Ndiaye insisted “he’s not going anywhere” after revealing that his son had called him.
Then, after Everton shared photographs of the player returning to training with his club colleagues in Germany the following week after his extending post-World Cup break his international team-mate Idrissa Gueye, who called time on his own Blues career this summer after seven years of service over two spells, replied: “Here to stay.”
And speaking in the embargoed section of his pre-match press conference to preview the Crystal Palace clash, David Moyes was asked if Ndiaye could go late in the window.
The Everton boss said: “No. Unless there’s something absolutely outrageous.
“The words we say that ‘everyone has a price’ but he has not got a price to me. As far as I’m concerned, as long as I’ve been here, he has never been leaving and I don’t know where the stories have come from.
“I had no recollection or nobody mentioned to me about the other stuff that we’ve heard.”
Richarlison and Jack Grealish are both on Everton's radar
Richarlison and Jack Grealish are both on Everton's radar(Getty Images)