If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. Through performing a move so spectacular that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a informal game to conclude 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 perfectly positioned to discuss this topic. “Don’t focus on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he told a young player shortly before deploying said impressive trick on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gap between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.
Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming 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 just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep with a series of merciless tricks, although it’s thought that the latter was at least driven by the Japanese player’s social media disgrace caption – “this frustration makes a person stronger” – and the associated label of #friendship.
Kagawa’s ex-BVB colleagues Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to lose their match 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 not so generous when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a similar experiment. 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 stark reality for young players across the country.
Join Scott Murray from evening UK time for hot Geopolitics World Cup qualifying coverage of England versus Serbia, while Luke McLaughlin will be monitoring the action for the rest of the night’s action.
“Football took me but it never abandoned me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The love of football carries you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the understanding” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his planning to share his path.
“Nice to hear that Kevin Mac Allister will be included by Argentina. With luck, if he goes to the major tournament next year, he’ll study how to get about the host cities – hopefully he won’t get confused in New York” – James Humphries.
“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to alleged involvement in a betting scandal. It would be wonderful if that number could be increased to the same level of characteristic precision associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my math, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not a huge sacrifice at my age and, um, ability), are there 32 more folks willing to join in my search for symmetry?” – Mike Wilner.
“As a regular follower 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 island nation? 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 entire tale. There’s no meaningful conclusion to the tale. (I-4 joins 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.
“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, 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 useful 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 nearing eight decades, while the most junior are in their twenties. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a basic guideline regarding the skill level: you can be speedy or technical, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.
Rashid Al-Mansoori is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering innovations and digital transformations in the Middle East.
