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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

If you haven’t seen the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so nasty that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to finish what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being recruited 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 come through,” he advised a young player just before executing said ninja move on his opponent, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “setbacks build character” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to be defeated against 100 children when the trio played 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 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 play in the Premier League, a stark reality for aspiring footballers across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Join Scott Murray from evening UK time for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his training to share his career.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll study how to navigate the host cities – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

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

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I preemptively object about the next several days of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. 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 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 introduced as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who brought him along. 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 oldest player is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: you can be quick or talented, but preferably not simultaneously. We sometimes have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.