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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. In executing a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, 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 amateur players can get another opportunity after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to discuss this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said ninja move on his opponent, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. A younger Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – 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 harsh skills, although it’s thought that the latter was at least inspired 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 decency to be defeated against 100 children when the group competed during the interval of their last appearance 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 back to the start, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the other games happening later.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the solution” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his path.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the major tournament next year, he’ll study how to get about the venue locations – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be increased 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 (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the next several days 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 links Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, 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. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some co-workers and mates, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.