Iliman Ndiaye, Harlem Globetrotters-Level Moves and Sobering Football Statistics

YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to conclude what had been – up to that point – an revealing conversation about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being signed by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to address this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player immediately prior to deploying said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so vividly showing the difference between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. Prime Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a young shot-stopper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this specific category – but the one-time Reds forward is just one of many culprits. 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 driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “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 decency to lose their match against 100 children when the trio played during the half-time break of their final match for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. 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 appear in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Soccer carried me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to share his path.

READER CORRESPONDENCE

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the major tournament next year, he’ll read up on how to get about the tournament sites – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.

“Information shows that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to potential connection in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be bumped up to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more perfectionists. 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 balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a regular follower and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your country? 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 satisfying lesson 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 recruited him. Reportedly 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 oldest player is pushing 80, while the least experienced are in their young adulthood. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We sometimes have players who disregard this principle, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.