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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the footage of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a casual practice to conclude what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned 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 shortly before executing said ninja move on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Peak Michael Owen happily embarrassing a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s thought that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the accompanying hashtag 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 trio lined up 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 took on 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, 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 stark reality for aspiring footballers across the country.

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Tune in with Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT 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

“The game guided me but it never deserted me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. The devotion to the game propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – head coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to reflect on his journey.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the major tournament next year, he’ll study how to navigate the tournament sites – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be amazing if that number could be increased to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, 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, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the next several days of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 entire tale. There’s no satisfying lesson to the tale. (I-4 joins 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. Reportedly 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 experienced participant is pushing 80, while the youngest are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who break this guideline, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.