If you haven’t seen the video of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. Through performing a move so nasty that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how Sunday league footballers can get another opportunity after being released by professional academies.
Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being picked up 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 advised a young player just before deploying said spectacular skill on his opponent, in doing so perfectly illustrating the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been trying to bridge.
Ndiaye joins a list of professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Prime Michael Owen happily embarrassing a young shot-stopper in front of a annoyed Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is not alone in this. 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 motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the related tag of #friendship.
Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the good grace to suffer a loss against 100 children when the three lined up during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. But back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.
Tune in with Scott Murray from 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time for live international football action of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the other games happening later.
“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The love of football drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the understanding” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his planning to share his career.
“Good to know that Kevin Mac Allister isn’t going to be left home alone by Argentina. Hopefully, if he goes to the international competition next year, he’ll study how to get about the venue locations – let’s avoid him being disoriented in New York” – James Humphries.
“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been prohibited due to suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be amazing 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 volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, skill level), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for symmetry?” – 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 island nation? I mean, I was delayed in congestion 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.
“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 known as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who invited him. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a decent left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.
“Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is nearing eight decades, while the most junior are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but preferably not simultaneously. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.
A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino operations and strategy development.
