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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye performing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. In executing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to conclude what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to discuss this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told a young player shortly before deploying said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so perfectly illustrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s thought that the latter was at least inspired by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – 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 lose their match against 100 children when the trio competed during the mid-game pause of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they played against 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 appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the other games happening later.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“Soccer carried me but it never abandoned me because I never stopped believing. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to discuss his path.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll study how to navigate the tournament sites – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be fantastic 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 estimation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the coming period of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? I mean, I was delayed in congestion on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. There’s no satisfying lesson 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.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke introduced as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who brought him along. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a good left side. (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 most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.