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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. 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 casual practice to finish what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can get another opportunity after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he advised a young player immediately prior to deploying said ninja move on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this particular niche – but the one-time Reds forward is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the group 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 played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But coming full circle, 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 aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from evening UK time for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the other games happening later.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. The devotion to the game carries 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 training to discuss his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the major tournament 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.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to alleged involvement in a gambling controversy. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the coming period of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the complete account. There’s no rewarding moral 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 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 decent 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 senior member is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who disregard this principle, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.