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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Unless you’ve missed the video of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to finish what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity after being released by 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 materialize,” he informed a young player just before deploying said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this specific category – but the former Liverpool man is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s believed that the latter was at least inspired by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three competed during the mid-game pause of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But returning to the beginning, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a stark reality for young players across the country.

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Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the remaining evening matches.

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 passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the international competition next year, he’ll research how to travel around the host cities – 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 alleged involvement in a gambling controversy. It would be wonderful 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 estimation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 whole story. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 links 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 recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke known as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who recruited him. Supposedly 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 most experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be quick or talented, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who disregard this principle, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.