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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to conclude what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players can get another opportunity after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being recruited 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 materialize,” he advised a young player just before executing said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man 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 considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “setbacks build character” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to be defeated against 100 children when the trio competed 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 took on 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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Tune in with Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The game guided me but it never left me because I never stopped believing. I went from team to team. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – head coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his training to discuss his journey.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the major tournament next year, he’ll research how to travel around the venue locations – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be amazing if that number could be bumped up to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded 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 symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the next several days of published letters about which highway 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 entire tale. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 connects 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 recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke introduced as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who recruited him. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a useful 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 pushing 80, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not simultaneously. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.