Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Style Moves and Revealing Football Stats

COULD IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

Should you have overlooked the clip of Iliman Ndiaye performing a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s worth viewing. By pulling off a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to wrap up what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how non-professionals can secure a fresh start 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 address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he advised a young player immediately prior to executing said spectacular skill on his teammate, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Prime Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a young shot-stopper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is obviously the gold standard in this unique area – but the former Liverpool man is just one of many culprits. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have caused kids to weep 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 – “setbacks build character” – and the associated label 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 three competed during the mid-game pause of their last appearance for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they faced 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But back to the start, it’s approximated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing organized youth football in England will ever play in the Premier League, a harsh truth for young players across the country.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never left me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from place to place. The devotion to the game propels 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 preparations to reflect on his journey.

FAN FEEDBACK

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“Reports indicate that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been banned due to potential connection in a wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be raised 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 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 join in my search for balance?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the coming period of published letters about which route one uses to get to various locations in your country? I mean, I was delayed in congestion 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 traffic issues at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Apropos Wythenshawe FC, I recollect many years ago playing for a Sunday, very casual team, 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. Apparently he was an actor; he had a good left side. (Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis)” – Jason Steger.

“Together with some co-workers and mates, I play a game of football each Friday afternoon. Our oldest player is approaching eighty, while the youngest 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 quick or talented, but preferably not both. We occasionally have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.