Iliman Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Level Moves and Revealing Soccer Statistics

YOU’RE TELLING US THERE’S A CHANCE?

Unless you’ve missed the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a reverse bouncing nutmeg at Everton’s training ground, you should check it out. In executing a move so spectacular that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill instantly ended what was meant to be a casual practice to finish what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how Sunday league footballers can secure a fresh start after being let go from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who competed in amateur leagues directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to speak on this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to materialize,” he informed a young player just before using said spectacular skill on his victim, in doing so vividly showing the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.

Ndiaye isn’t the first professional footballer to go slightly overboard. Peak Michael Owen cheerfully overwhelming a teenage keeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example in this specific category – but the one-time Reds forward is not alone in this. 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 motivated by the Japanese player’s social media apologetic post – “setbacks build character” – and the related tag of #friendship.

Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the decency to be defeated against 100 children when the three lined up during the mid-game pause of their last appearance 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 similar experiment. But back to the start, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a harsh truth for toddlers and teenagers across the country.

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Tune in with 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 other games happening later.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Football took me but it never deserted me because I never stopped believing. I went from location to location. The devotion to the game drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was directing me. But today I have the solution” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his planning to reflect on his career.

FAN FEEDBACK

“Pleasant to learn that Kevin Mac Allister won’t be excluded by Argentina. With luck, if he travels to the international competition next year, he’ll research 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 wagering issue. It would be amazing if that number could be raised to the same level of typical pedantry associated with Football Daily – that is, 1,057 readers. By my estimation, that’s about 33 more detail-oriented individuals. 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 participate in my quest for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.

“As a frequent consumer and Florida resident, can I proactively complain about the upcoming week-plus of published letters about which route 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 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 congestion problems at any time)” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I recall many years ago playing for a Sunday, very recreational club, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke known as ‘Danny’ turned up to play. I have no idea who recruited him. 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 approaching eighty, while the least experienced are in their young adulthood. To ensure a enjoyable experience for everyone, we have a straightforward principle regarding the quality of player: you can be speedy or technical, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who disregard this principle, but usually succeed in bringing them to our standard over time” – Lars Esbjerg.