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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, 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 Sunday league footballers can secure a fresh start after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to speak on 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 clearly demonstrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen happily embarrassing a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – 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 merciless tricks, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match 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 were not so generous when they faced 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 structured junior soccer in England will ever play in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

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Join Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never stopped believing. I went from team to team. The love of football propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his training to share his path.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll research how to travel around 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 banned due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be bumped up 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, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the coming period of published letters about which highway 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 complete account. There’s no meaningful conclusion 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.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, 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. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is pushing 80, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be quick or talented, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who disregard this principle, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.