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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players can secure a fresh start after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to address this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he informed a young player just before executing said ninja move on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to be defeated against 100 children when the group played during the mid-game pause of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But returning to the beginning, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for young players across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from evening UK time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the remaining evening matches.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never stopped believing. I went from team to team. The love of football carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his planning to reflect on his journey.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to travel around the tournament sites – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to suspected participation 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 offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which highway 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 whole story. There’s no satisfying lesson 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.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I remember 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 associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not simultaneously. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.