Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Level Skills and Sobering Football Stats
IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?
If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. By pulling off a move so spectacular that it would have been appropriate at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to finish what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how amateur players can earn a second chance 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 speak on this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he informed a young player shortly before executing said spectacular skill on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.
Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to push the boundaries. A younger Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this particular niche – but the former Liverpool man is not alone in this. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of harsh skills, although it’s believed that the latter was at least motivated by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “difficulty breeds resilience” – and the accompanying hashtag of #friendship.
Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to be defeated against 100 children when the trio played during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that included Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were more competitive when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But coming full circle, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever play in the Premier League, a sobering statistic for young players across the country.
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Join Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for real-time tournament updates of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be tracking events for the remaining evening matches.
FEATURED STATEMENT
“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from location to location. The love of football propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic makes time from his preparations to reflect on his path.
FAN FEEDBACK
“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. Ideally, if he travels to the major tournament next year, he’ll research 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 banned due to suspected participation in a gambling controversy. It would be fantastic if that number could be bumped up to the same level of typical pedantry 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 (hardly a difficult decision at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.
“As a frequent consumer 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 rewarding moral to the tale. (I-4 connects Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona on the Atlantic via Orlando/Walt Disney World, and can have delays at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.
“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke presented 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 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 late-20s. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually typically reduce them to our quality over time” – Lars Esbjerg.
