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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. In executing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to conclude what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to discuss this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he informed a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen happily embarrassing a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “setbacks build character” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to be defeated against 100 children when the group lined up during the half-time break of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive 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 competitive youth leagues in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Football took me but it never left me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his preparations to discuss his path.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he travels to the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll study how to get about the venue locations – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be bumped up to the same level of characteristic precision 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 (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the next several days 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 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 recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, 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. Apparently he was an actor; he had a useful 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 oldest player is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their late-20s. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.