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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Unless you’ve missed the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to finish 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 played Sunday League football directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to speak on this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he advised a young player immediately prior to deploying said ninja move 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 go slightly overboard. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this unique area – but the one-time Reds forward is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s thought that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the trio lined up during the half-time break of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But coming full circle, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country.

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Join Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the remaining evening matches.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“The game guided me but it never left me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his planning to discuss his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the international competition 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 prohibited due to potential connection in a betting scandal. 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 volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which highway 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 whole story. 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recall 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. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some co-workers and mates, 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 positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be quick or talented, but preferably not simultaneously. We occasionally have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.