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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so spectacular 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 finish what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity 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 address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of harsh skills, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three 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 faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But coming full circle, it’s estimated 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 aspiring footballers across the country.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The game guided me but it never deserted me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the solution” – head coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his training to share his career.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the host cities – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to suspected participation in a wagering issue. It would be fantastic if that number could be increased to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the coming period of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 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 delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented 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 co-workers and mates, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the ability standard: you can be quick or talented, but preferably not simultaneously. We sometimes have players who break this guideline, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.