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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Unless you’ve missed the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. By pulling off a move so spectacular that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to finish what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can earn a second chance after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he informed a young player shortly before executing said impressive trick on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man 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 thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to lose their match against 100 children when the three played during the mid-game pause of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they faced 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 organized youth football in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Follow Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the rest of the night’s action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never left me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – head coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his planning to discuss his career.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he travels to the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to travel around the venue locations – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of usual detail-orientation associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more pedants. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the next several days of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? I mean, I was delayed in congestion on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. There’s no satisfying lesson to the tale. (I-4 joins 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 introduced as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who brought him along. Reportedly 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 oldest player is pushing 80, while the least experienced are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.