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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so nasty that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a informal game to finish what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how amateur players can earn a second chance after being released by 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. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he advised a young player immediately prior to using said ninja move on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – but the one-time Reds forward is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of harsh skills, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match against 100 children when the group competed during the interval 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 back to the start, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for aspiring footballers across the country.

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DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from place to place. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his preparations to reflect on his career.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll study how to navigate the tournament sites – 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 suspected participation in a gambling controversy. It would be amazing if that number could be increased 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 offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader 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 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 rewarding moral 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 social side, 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. Apparently he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is approaching eighty, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be quick or talented, but ideally not both. We sometimes have players who break this guideline, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.