🔗 Share this article

COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so nasty that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a informal game to conclude what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to discuss this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told a young player shortly before deploying said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. Peak Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of merciless tricks, 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 associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to lose their match against 100 children when the three played during the half-time break of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the other games happening later.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his planning to discuss his path.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Hopefully, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the tournament sites – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to suspected participation in a gambling controversy. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, 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 join in my search for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the coming period of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your country? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the whole story. There’s no rewarding moral to the tale. (I-4 connects Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, 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. Apparently 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 experienced participant is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not simultaneously. We periodically have players who break this guideline, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.