🔗 Share this article Iliman Ndiaye, Harlem Globetrotters-Level Skills and Sobering Football Statistics COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN? Should you have overlooked the video of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. In executing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being released by professional academies. Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being signed 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 arrive,” he informed a young player immediately prior to using said impressive trick on his teammate, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize. Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to push the boundaries. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this unique area – 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 brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least inspired by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship. Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to lose their match against 100 children when the three competed during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for young players across the country. BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM Join 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 other games happening later. DAILY HIGHLIGHT “Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The love of football carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to share his journey. FAN FEEDBACK “Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Ideally, 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 prohibited due to suspected participation in a gambling controversy. It would be fantastic if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss 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 preemptively object about the coming period of published letters about which route 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 entire tale. There’s no rewarding moral 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. “Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, 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 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 nearing eight decades, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: 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.