🔗 Share this article

COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a informal game to conclude what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can earn a second chance after being dropped 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. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he informed a young player just before deploying said impressive trick on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to be defeated against 100 children when the group lined up during the half-time break of their final match 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 coming full circle, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Follow Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The love of football carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the solution” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he goes 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.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be wonderful if that number could be increased to the same level of usual detail-orientation associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more pedants. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? 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 entire tale. There’s no rewarding moral 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.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recall 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 approaching eighty, while the least experienced are in their twenties. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be quick or talented, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who disregard this principle, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.