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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. Through performing a move so spectacular that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how non-professionals can earn a second chance after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to speak on this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he informed a young player just before deploying said ninja move on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this specific category – but the one-time Reds forward is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated 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 good grace to be defeated against 100 children when the group competed during the interval of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But coming full circle, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Follow Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. The love of football carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his journey.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Hopefully, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll research 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 banned due to suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be bumped up to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more pedants. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for balance?” – 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 stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the whole story. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 links Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Concerning Wythenshawe FC, I recollect 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 brought him along. Apparently 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 least experienced are in their late-20s. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: you can be quick or talented, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who disregard this principle, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.