🔗 Share this article

IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players can get another opportunity after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told a young player just before deploying said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Peak Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – but the one-time Reds forward is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to be defeated against 100 children when the trio played during the half-time break of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever play in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the solution” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to reflect on his career.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the host cities – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be bumped up to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? I mean, I was delayed in congestion on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the complete account. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 joins Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

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

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.