Why Huddersfield Town’s Sorba Thomas takes inspiration from Sheffield United’s Iliman Ndiaye

The Conference side travel to Goodison Park in tonight’s FA Cup fifth round, and can also take pride from having produced two of the Championship’s most exciting attacking talents.

Huddersfield signed Thomas from them in January 2020 and after an initial bedding-in period he has been a crucial part of their play-off push with ten assists and three goals this season. His assists tally is the joint third-best in the division.

It has also been a breakthrough season for Iliman Ndiaye, who unlike Thomas left for Yorkshire before breaking into Wood’s first team, joining Sheffield United’s youth set-up three years ago. The 21-year-old Frenchman has made 18 Championship starts and five substitute appearances which have yielded three goals and an assist.

Thomas says Ndiaye’s progress inspires him, and he believes the Blades have a big talent in the making.

“I keep an eye out for him and see when he’s doing well,” said Thomas, who became a full Wales international this season.

“It gives me a bit of motivation to go again and if he keeps his head down I feel like Sheffield United have got a massive player on their hands.

“If he doesn’t let any outside noise get involved in his football life, he’s going to be a top player.”

Attacking midfielder Ndiaye was only on the pitch for the last few minutes of the Blades’ game at Huddersfield last month.

“I would have loved it if he’d started because I know our old [academy] manager Cameron [Mawer, now assistant manager of Hendon] well and he would have been at home watching the game smiling seeing both of us on the same stage,” said Thomas.

He still has a soft spot for the club that helped him become the player he is today.

“Last year they got to the third round [losing to Millwall], now they’re pushing the quarters,” he says.

“The manager [Luke Garrard] is unbelievable. Towards the start at Boreham Wood when I was playing as a wing-back, he would have me out after a session working on one-v-ones and defensive sessions.

“Now the manager here [Carlos Corberan] and his assistants are helping me defensively.”

Asked his ambitions for this season, Thomas replies: “I still want to get the most assists in the league [Reading’s John Swift has 13] and you’ve got team of the year…”