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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. In executing a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, 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 Sunday league footballers can earn a second chance after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to speak on this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he advised a young player shortly before using said ninja move on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – 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 merciless tricks, although it’s thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the accompanying hashtag 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 trio lined up during the interval of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a stark reality for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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Follow Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT 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

“The game guided me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. The love of football propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the solution” – head coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his preparations to share his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the major tournament next year, he’ll research how to travel around the tournament sites – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be fantastic if that number could be increased to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the next several days of published letters about which road 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 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, 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 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 experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We sometimes have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.