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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players can get another opportunity after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games 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 just before using said ninja move on his victim, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this particular niche – but the one-time Reds forward is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of brutal nutmegs, 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 ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the trio competed during the mid-game pause of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. 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 feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with 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.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. The devotion to the game carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his path.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded 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.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a gambling controversy. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more pedants. If I offer to be suspended 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 harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your country? 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 entire tale. 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.

“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 recruited him. Reportedly 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 approaching eighty, while the least experienced are in their twenties. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not simultaneously. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.