Iliman Ndiaye delivers the most emotional, least media-trained response of the month when asked how he feels leaving Everton this summer for Man City.

Iliman Ndiaye delivers the most emotional, least media-trained response of the month when asked how he feels leaving Everton this summer for Man City.

Iliman Ndiaye’s transfer from Everton to Manchester City was confirmed on deadline day for an initial £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons, a £65 million package that took the Senegal international to the Etihad on a five-year deal. The 26-year-old had been a firm favourite on Merseyside since joining from Marseille in 2024, scoring the final goals at Goodison Park and the first at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Yet when asked how he felt about leaving the Toffees, the usually composed winger produced a raw, unfiltered answer that stood out amid the polished statements of the window.

“It hurts, man. It really does,” Ndiaye said, voice cracking slightly and eyes glistening in a moment that felt completely unscripted. “These fans… they gave me everything. Every single game they pushed me. Scoring that last one at Goodison, the first at the new place – those moments live inside me forever. Leaving isn’t easy. Everton put their trust in me when not everyone did. I fought for this club with my heart. But this opportunity with City… I’ve dreamed of playing for a team that competes for everything since I was a kid. It’s the chance of a lifetime and I have to grab it with both hands. Still, you will always be in my heart. The memories stay with me.”

The response, far from the rehearsed lines common in modern football, captured both gratitude and genuine pain. Ndiaye later reinforced the sentiment in a heartfelt social media message thanking Everton supporters for their passion and love. City’s director of football praised his grounded character and determination, while the player himself spoke of writing his own chapter at one of the world’s best clubs.

For Everton fans the exit stung, especially so late in the window, but Ndiaye’s honesty offered a rare window into the human side of a big-money move. In a month full of carefully managed quotes, his emotional, least media-trained answer cut through.