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COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly 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 informative discussion about how Sunday league footballers can earn a second chance after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being recruited by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to discuss this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he informed a young player just before executing said impressive trick on his opponent, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this particular niche – 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 brutal nutmegs, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match against 100 children when the three competed during the mid-game pause of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But coming full circle, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a harsh truth for young players across the country.

BROADCAST ON MAJOR PLATFORM

Follow Scott Murray from evening UK time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the night’s action.

DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“Soccer carried me but it never deserted me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the understanding” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his training to reflect on his career.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll research how to get about 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 banned due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be amazing if that number could be increased 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 volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the next several days of published letters about which highway 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 complete account. 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.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recall 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 decent 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 senior member is approaching eighty, while the youngest are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the quality of player: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who break this guideline, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.