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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye executing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so nasty that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how non-professionals can get another opportunity after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being picked up 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 come through,” he informed a young player just before using 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 is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this specific category – but the former Liverpool man is far from the only offender. 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 apologetic post – “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 be defeated against 100 children when the three played during the mid-game pause of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country.

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Join Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took 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 leading me. But today I have the answer” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to share his journey.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he participates in the major tournament next year, he’ll study how to travel around the venue locations – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state 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 typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I volunteer to be banned 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 coming period of published letters about which highway 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 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 traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recollect 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 recruited him. Apparently 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 approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.