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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice 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 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 materialize,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen happily embarrassing a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming 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 brutal nutmegs, although it’s thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the group played during the half-time break of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they took on 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 competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a harsh truth for young players across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Follow Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his planning to discuss his path.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the major tournament next year, he’ll read up on how to travel around the venue locations – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be increased to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the coming period of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? I mean, I was delayed in congestion 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 connects Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who brought him along. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

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