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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a informal game to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players can get another opportunity after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to speak on this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he informed a young player just before executing said ninja move on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Prime Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this specific category – but the one-time Reds forward is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to suffer a loss against 100 children when the group lined up during the interval of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But returning to the beginning, 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.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Tune in with 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.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from team to team. 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 takes time out from his preparations to discuss his journey.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the major tournament next year, he’ll research how to get about the venue locations – wouldn’t want him to end up lost in New York” – James Humphries.

“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to alleged involvement in a gambling controversy. 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 calculation, 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, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I in advance protest 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 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 traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I remember 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 invited him. Reportedly he was an actor; he had a useful left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most experienced participant is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We periodically have players who disregard this principle, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.