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Ed Sheeran left disheartened after being overshadowed by Everton, Iliman Ndiaye and Scouse singer-songwriter

Matte Jr
Ed Sheeran left disheartened after being overshadowed by Everton, Iliman Ndiaye and Scouse singer-songwriter

Norris Green singer-songwriter Ryan Rooney put together Iliman Ndiaye’s chant which became a huge hit with Everton fans

Ipswich Town fan Ed Sheeran's trip to Portman Road last Saturday was ruined by Everton's 2-0 victory with a goal from Iliman Ndiaye (detail), opening the scoring
Ipswich Town fan Ed Sheeran’s trip to Portman Road last Saturday was ruined by Everton’s 2-0 victory with a goal from Iliman Ndiaye (detail), opening the scoring

Such was the case with ‘Ryan Rooney one, Ed Sheeran zero’ last Saturday, as the aspiring Scouse singer-songwriter left Portman Road with the sound of his own ditty ringing in his ears as the Suffolk-bred chart-topper via his beloved Ipswich Town defeated by Everton. Sheeran, who owns a minority stake in the Tractor Boys and sponsors their shirts, was dismayed when his team were left waiting for their first win after winning promotion to the Premier League with goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane securing a first away win for Os Sean Dyche’s men in 10 months.

For Norris Green’s 22-year-old Rooney – who wasn’t even born the last time Ipswich took three points in the top flight – the trip to East Anglia proved to be a dream come true as his fellow Evertonians repeatedly sang renditions of his musical ode to summer signing Ndiaye, who opened the scoring in spectacular fashion 17 minutes into the game. When asked about the song, the player himself said: “Yes, I’ve seen it. I still don’t know the words, but I think I’ve said before that it’s very important to have a good connection with the fans.

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“They keep you moving forward, you keep them moving forward. I would like to think that with the type of player I am, with dribbling and things like that, it motivates them, so I’m really happy to be here and have a connection with the fans.”

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The song, which quickly became a Blues favourite, goes: “I’m in love, I can’t deny it, our number 10 is called Iliman Ndiaye; From Senegal to Bramley-Moore, he is magical, he is the one we adore. Old, old; Hello, hello…”

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Rooney told the ECHO: “A lad called Ben sent me this on TikTok. He sent the words and I tried to do my job with them, try to make them as catchy as possible and when I got the ‘ole, hello’ part right, it kept me going.

“We had a song a few years ago for Allan, the Brazilian midfielder, in the same tone. So I tried to work on it as best I could.

“It’s surreal. Iliman has become a fan favorite very quickly as he is a great player and I feel his attitude towards the fans is great since he signed for the club.

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He added: “I’m delighted with the response from the Everton fans, we are the People’s Club, and what a great moment for me to be at Portman Road on Saturday in the middle of this with all my fellow Everton fans trying to get me involved as much as they can. . I was with one of my best friends and we go every week, home and away.

“It was one of them, I was at the coach going into the game, and we said, ‘We really hope he scores.’ We had the impression he could do it, but football is a sport where anything can happen.

“The Ipswich defender didn’t control the ball as well as he would have liked and Iliman was there to beat the goalkeeper. It was confusing at that moment to celebrate the 1-0 victory.

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“Not just for me, but for all Everton fans, it was the boss who scored, as we were all chanting his name. We also had a few more interpretations during the long drive home, 100%, it was non-stop.”

Singer-songwriter Ryan Rooney of Norris Green
Singer-songwriter Ryan Rooney of Norris Green

Rooney reveals that it was seeing some local lads from the past on television that set him on a musical path from a young age. He said: “I do my own thing. I’ve released about six songs and the dream is still alive with music, and now I have a podcast, Riverside Toffees, which I co-host with a good friend, which is something I love doing.

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“Just like football, music has always been a passion for me and I hope it grows again. The music I make kind of swings between emotions and life, I have a song called ‘It Is What It Is’ which is about going out on a Saturday night with your friends in the city when you’re 18 or 19.

“I remember being about five years old when my grandmother was cooking a Sunday roast and she had the film Help! on. She went into the kitchen and came back to see if I had left all my toys aside because I was mesmerized by the Beatles and John Lennon in particular.

“I absolutely love Oasis – unfortunately I couldn’t get tickets for next year – plus the likes of Phil Adams, Sam Fender and Bruce Springsteen.”

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While Ndiaye’s glowing fingers inspired Rooney’s huge success in the stands with Blues fans, he reveals that some of the striker’s teammates could also have their own songs in the near future. He said: “Iliman is the type of player who gets fans out of their seats. The ball seems to stick to him and even when there are two defenders on him, it will bounce correctly to him, and he will somehow get past them.

“He started his career at Everton. I think besides getting three points, the most important thing for me is being able to love going to watch Everton and being excited while doing it.

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“I have another Everton song in the works, it was playing last night. I’m going to try and do one for Dwight McNeil or Jordan Pickford, another fan favorite couple, so I’m trying to sort that out and hopefully we can repeat the script on Ndiaye with either of those two when we’re in the stands at Southampton.”

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