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IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the clip of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. In executing a move so spectacular 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 conclude what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how Sunday league footballers can earn a second chance after being released by professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told a young player immediately prior to using said ninja move on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf 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 gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this unique area – but the one-time Reds forward is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media regretful message – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three lined up during the mid-game pause of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But returning to the beginning, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The love of football propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the solution” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his career.

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“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the coming period of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your homeland? 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 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke introduced as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who invited him. Apparently he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some associates and companions, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is nearing eight decades, while the least experienced are in their late-20s. 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 periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.