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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the video of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to address this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he advised a young player shortly before using said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. Peak Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the one-time Reds forward 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 thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “setbacks build character” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to suffer a loss against 100 children when the group played during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But returning to the beginning, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.

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DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“Football took me but it never deserted me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the solution” – head coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to reflect on his career.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Hopefully, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll study how to travel around the tournament sites – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be fantastic if that number could be raised to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the next several days of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? 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 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 traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke known as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who invited him. Apparently 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 late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.