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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick 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 instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players 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 discuss this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player just before executing said ninja move on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – but the ex-Anfield star is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the group competed during the half-time break of their final match 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 coming full circle, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from location to location. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to discuss his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the host cities – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to potential connection in a betting scandal. 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 math, that’s about 33 more pedants. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus 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 whole story. 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recall 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 invited him. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is nearing eight decades, while the most junior are in their late-20s. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who disregard this principle, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.