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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. In executing a move so spectacular that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout 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 featured in non-league games directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to speak on this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this specific category – but the ex-Anfield star is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of harsh skills, although it’s believed that the latter was at least inspired by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to be defeated against 100 children when the group lined up during the mid-game pause of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they played against 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 organized youth football in England will ever play in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the other games happening later.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never deserted me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his planning to discuss his career.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the major tournament next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the venue locations – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a wagering issue. It would be fantastic if that number could be increased to the same level of usual detail-orientation 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 (not much of a loss at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your country? I mean, I was caught in a traffic jam on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the whole story. There’s no satisfying lesson to the tale. (I-4 links Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke known 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 colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the youngest are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We sometimes have players who disregard this principle, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.