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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

If you haven’t seen the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he advised a young player shortly before deploying said spectacular skill on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this specific category – but the ex-Anfield star is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of harsh skills, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace 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 included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a harsh truth for aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Join Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never stopped believing. I went from place to place. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his planning to share his path.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll research how to travel around the venue locations – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be increased to the same level of characteristic precision 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 in advance protest about the coming period of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 joins Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented 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 co-workers and mates, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We sometimes have players who disregard this principle, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.