Sheffield United: The player whose best is yet to come, as Nottingham Forest clash beckons
Paul Heckingbottom, the Sheffield United manager, believes there is more to come from youngster Iliman Ndiaye as his team prepares to enter the Championship play-offs.
United stage the first leg of their semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Bramall Lane on Saturday, with Ndiaye entering the match having scored four goals in his last five outings.
Coupled with his burgeoning partnership with Morgan Gibbs-White, Ndiaye’s form has come at a timely moment for United who could be without their most prolific centre-forward, captain Billy Sharp, until next season due to a calf injury.
Heckingbottom, who handed Ndiaye his debut during a spell in caretaker charge last season, told The Star earlier this week that there is more to United than simply the 22-year-olds’ double act.
But with Ndiaye still lacking Gibbs-White’s experience, the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief is expecting the development programme graduate to continue getting better and better.
“There’s still a lot more to see from Iliman,” he said. “He knows now what it takes to get in this team.
“He’s understanding that a lot better now and you’re seeing the results of that. He’s got to continue to keep improving and I’m sure he will because he listens and we already know what he’s capable of with the ball. What it’s all been about is making sure he does the other stuff too, which he is, and has made him even better.”
After hosting Forest in South Yorkshire, United travel to the City Ground on Tuesday with the winners of the tie facing either Huddersfield Town or Luton Town at Wembley later this month.