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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how Sunday league footballers can earn a second chance after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to address this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he told a young player just before using said ninja move on his opponent, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this specific category – but the one-time Reds forward is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of harsh skills, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three played during the half-time break of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. 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 appear in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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Follow Scott Murray from evening UK time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his planning to discuss his career.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll read up on how to navigate the venue locations – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to alleged involvement in a wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the coming period 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 complete account. There’s no satisfying lesson 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 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. Apparently 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 oldest player is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: you can be quick or talented, 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.