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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. In executing a move so spectacular that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to conclude what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can earn a second chance after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to address this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he advised a young player just before using said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this specific category – but the ex-Anfield star is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of harsh skills, 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 associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three competed during the half-time break of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

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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 tracking events for the other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his training to share his path.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll research how to get about the host cities – 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 potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be fantastic if that number could be bumped up 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 perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded 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 regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain 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 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 traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning 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 invited him. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent 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 most experienced participant is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.