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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the video of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. In executing a move so spectacular that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players can earn a second chance after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he informed a young player immediately prior to deploying said ninja move on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to suffer a loss against 100 children when the trio lined up during the half-time break of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for aspiring footballers across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Join Scott Murray from evening UK time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never deserted me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The devotion to the game propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his path.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the host cities – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be amazing if that number could be increased to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the next several days of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. There’s no satisfying lesson to the tale. (I-4 joins Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who brought him along. Reportedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not simultaneously. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.