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YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

If you haven’t seen the video of Iliman Ndiaye executing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so nasty that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to conclude what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he advised a young player shortly before using said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s thought that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “setbacks build character” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the three played during the half-time break of their final match 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 returning to the beginning, 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 toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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Follow Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for live international football action 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 abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. 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 answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to discuss his path.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the major tournament next year, he’ll read up on how to navigate 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 suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of usual detail-orientation associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more pedants. 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 join in my search for harmony?” – 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 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 complete account. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 connects 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.

“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 invited him. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is pushing 80, while the youngest 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 periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.