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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye executing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can earn a second chance after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being signed 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 materialize,” he advised a young player shortly before deploying said spectacular skill on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. A younger Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this particular niche – but the ex-Anfield star 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 driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – 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 suffer a loss against 100 children when the group competed during the mid-game pause of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous 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 feature in the Premier League, a stark reality for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Join 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 other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from place to place. The love of football propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the solution” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his journey.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. With luck, if he travels to the major tournament next year, he’ll study how to navigate 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 suspended due to suspected participation in a gambling controversy. It would be amazing if that number could be increased to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the next several days of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your country? 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 rewarding moral 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.

“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 recruited him. Apparently he was an actor; he had a useful 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 approaching eighty, while the youngest are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not simultaneously. We periodically have players who disregard this principle, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.