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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Unless you’ve missed the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so spectacular that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a informal game to finish what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can get another opportunity after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to speak on this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player immediately prior to using said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so clearly demonstrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. 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 disgrace caption – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match against 100 children when the group played during the half-time break of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they played against 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 structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from location to location. The devotion to the game carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the solution” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to reflect on his career.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

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

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to suspected participation in a wagering issue. It would be fantastic if that number could be bumped up to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, 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 join in my search for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer 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 country? 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 connects Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who recruited him. Apparently he was an actor; he had a useful left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be quick or talented, but preferably not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.