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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the footage of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, 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 Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to speak on this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he advised a young player shortly before deploying said impressive trick on his teammate, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – 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 brutal nutmegs, although it’s thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to suffer a loss against 100 children when the group competed during the interval of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never deserted me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his path.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Hopefully, if he travels to the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll study how to navigate the host cities – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state 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 characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the coming period of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 meaningful conclusion 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 recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who invited 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 approaching eighty, while the youngest are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.