🔗 Share this article

COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Unless you’ve missed the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to conclude what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how Sunday league footballers can earn a second chance after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to speak on this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he informed a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the one-time Reds forward is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of harsh skills, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to lose their match against 100 children when the group played during the interval of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But back to the start, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Follow Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the remaining evening matches.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The devotion to the game propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to reflect on his path.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll read up on how to travel around the venue locations – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to potential connection in a gambling controversy. It would be fantastic if that number could be raised to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, skill level), 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 road 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 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 recollect 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. Apparently 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 oldest player is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.