“A tornado, devil, a blade.” So read a description of Dan Ndoye in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport last season after one of his many match-winning displays for Bologna.
Judging by Ndoye’s dynamic performances for Switzerland at Euro 2024, the picture painted was a fair one. In a team defined by the vast tournament experience of its core players — Granit Xhaka, Fabian Schar and Yann Sommer — the forward has been a breath of fresh air.
After scoring his first international goal against Germany in a 1-1 draw in the group stage, he celebrated by posing like a lion, an ode to the Senegalese heritage of his father.
But it has been his jinking runs at defenders — and then invariably round them — that has turned heads.
With Marc Guehi suspended and England considering a switch to a back-three, Ndoye could cash in. The 23-year-old will fancy his chances at right wing if Bukayo Saka is moved into the unfamiliar position of left wing-back. And he may try to isolate Ezri Konsa (if, as expected, he comes in for Guehi) on the left of the back-three.
“Ndoye brings an element no other Swiss player can: speed and acceleration,” says Lucas Werder, from Swiss newspaper Blick. “He’s one of the players who can hurt England. There are not a lot of defenders who can match this, maybe Kyle Walker, but he will play on the other side.”
Ndoye made his name at Basel before joining Bologna for around £7.5million last summer and is coming off the back of a brilliant season in which he helped them finish fifth and qualify for the Champions League. His unpredictability has seen him linked with Manchester United and Inter.
He could return to a pacy front-line with Ruben Vargas and Breel Embolo, wanting nothing more than to run at the England defence. They cannot afford to let him.
