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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen 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 nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to finish what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players can earn a second chance after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to discuss this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told 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 young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the one-time Reds forward is far from the only offender. 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 driven by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “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 manners to be defeated against 100 children when the trio competed during the interval of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Follow Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the solution” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to share his career.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the major tournament next year, he’ll read up on how to get about 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 suspended due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be fantastic 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 detail-oriented individuals. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the next several days of published letters about which route 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.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, 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. Reportedly he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is pushing 80, while the youngest are in their twenties. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not both. We periodically have players who disregard this principle, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.