Sheffield United and Senegal star Iliman Ndiaye has just made a "big statement"

After impressing for his country during last year’s World Cup in Qatar, Ndiaye enters tomorrow’s game against Norwich City having been on target for Aliou Cisse’s side during their thrashing of Mozambique a week ago. It was his first goal for the African Cup of Nations’ holders since pledging allegiance to them last summer. Paul Heckingbottom, the United manager, told The Star that Ndiaye’s latest international exploits can only benefit his team as it prepares to resume its push for automatic promotion from the Championship.

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“Iliman came in with a big smile on his face,” he said. “I asked him ‘Did it feel any different going away this time?’ and he admitted that it did. I told him that’s because he’s proved himself and now he’s got to go on and become one of their manager’s most important players, one of his main players, from now on.”

Aged 23, Ndiaye has scored 12 goals for United so far this term; emerging as a driving force behind their climb to second in the table. After taking part in both of the Senegalese’s meetings with Os Mambas during the break in the domestic fixture schedule, he returned to South Yorkshire on Thursday morning. Despite travelling back from Maputo via Dakar, Heckingbottom expects Ndiaye to feature at Carrow Road.

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“That’s why I say I often don’t think some people realise just how big a thing playing for your country is,” Heckingbottom said, referencing the fact that Cisse’s selections also included Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly. “It’s no mean feat to get in that squad full stop. It’s a big statement on its own and it shows that he’s got the trust of not only a very good manager but also some very good players as well, otherwise he wouldn’t be there.”

Ndiaye enters the final year of his present contract at the end of the present campaign, meaning United, who have placed a block on any extensions as they work their way through some well-documented financial issues, could shortly have a huge decision to make whether they go up or not. Even before they were placed under a transfer embargo by the English Football League - a sanction which is not related to Dozy Mmobuosi’s proposed takeover of the club - little progress was being made towards tying Ndiaye down to fresh terms. Mmobuosi, a Nigerian entrepreneur, is still awaiting approval from the EFL to process his agreement with United’s current owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“It shows, the very fact that he’s gone to the World Cup and is now back in there, just how well Iliman is doing.” Heckingbottom said. “He’s obviously done nothing but impress, for them and for us. He also knows the standards he’s got to set to stay in there now, because of the company that he’s keeping, which can only be good for us.”