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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Unless you’ve missed the video of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so spectacular that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a informal game to wrap up 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 recruited 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 arrive,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so vividly showing the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears 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 – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the associated label of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match against 100 children when the group lined up during the half-time break 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 like situation. But back to the start, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a harsh truth for young players across the country.

STREAMING ON POPULAR SITE

Follow Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean 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.

FEATURED STATEMENT

“Football took me but it never deserted me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the solution” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to share his career.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. With luck, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the venue locations – 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 banned due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be wonderful if that number could be increased 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, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which road one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 entire tale. 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recall 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. Reportedly he was an actor; he had a useful left foot. (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 least experienced are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the ability standard: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.