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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a informal game to finish what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how Sunday league footballers can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to discuss this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he informed a young player just before executing said ninja move on his teammate, in doing so perfectly illustrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen happily embarrassing a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of harsh skills, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “setbacks build character” – 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 group played during the half-time break 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 back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a harsh truth for aspiring footballers across the country.

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FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never stopped believing. I went from team to team. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his career.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he goes to the international competition next year, he’ll research how to get about 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 alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be fantastic if that number could be bumped up to the same level of usual detail-orientation associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, 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, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which road 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 delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recollect 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. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a useful 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 straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.