🔗 Share this article Iliman Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Level Moves and Revealing Football Statistics IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY? Should you have overlooked the footage of Iliman Ndiaye executing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to conclude what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players 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 ideally suited to speak on this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he told a young player shortly before executing said impressive trick on his victim, 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 cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this particular niche – but the ex-Anfield star 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 driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “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 decency to be defeated against 100 children when the three competed during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But returning to the beginning, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever appear in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for aspiring footballers across the country. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE Tune in with Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the other games happening later. QUOTE OF THE DAY “The game guided me but it never left me because I never stopped believing. I went from team to team. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – head coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his training to share his career. READER CORRESPONDENCE “Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he participates in the international competition next year, he’ll read up on 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 wonderful if that number could be raised to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my calculation, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. If I agree to be excluded from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to participate in my quest for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner. “As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which road 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 whole story. 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi. “Concerning 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 brought him along. Supposedly he was an actor; he had a useful left foot. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger. “Together with some colleagues and friends, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our most senior member is pushing 80, while the least experienced are in their young adulthood. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who break this guideline, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.