Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Style Moves and Sobering Soccer Statistics

YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Unless you’ve missed the clip of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can get another opportunity after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is ideally suited to address this topic. “Don’t concentrate 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 working to minimize.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to push the boundaries. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a annoyed 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 reduced toddlers to actual tears with a series of brutal nutmegs, although it’s considered that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s former Dortmund teammates Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three played during the interval of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But coming full circle, it’s calculated 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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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 other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his training to reflect on his journey.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the Bigliest Most Peaceful Cup next year, he’ll study how to navigate the tournament sites – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I offer to be suspended from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I preemptively object 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 entire tale. 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.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I remember 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. Supposedly 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 most senior member is pushing 80, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a good time for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not simultaneously. We sometimes have players who break this guideline, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.