🔗 Share this article

COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can get another opportunity 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 expertly placed to discuss this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he advised a young player just before using said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s considered that the latter was at least inspired by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the associated label 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 comparable scenario. But coming full circle, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever play in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Tune in with Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage 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 stopped believing. I went from location to location. The love of football propels 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 reflect on his career.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll read up on how to travel around the tournament sites – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be raised to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded 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 frequent consumer 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 homeland? 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 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 congestion problems 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 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 associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is pushing 80, while the youngest are in their twenties. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not simultaneously. We periodically have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.