Ndiaye, Globetrotters-Level Skills and Revealing Soccer Statistics
IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?
If you haven’t seen the clip of Iliman Ndiaye executing a backwards bouncing trick at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. Through performing a move so impressive that it would have suited perfectly at a Harlem Globetrotters show game, the skill immediately shut down what was meant to be a casual practice to finish what had been – up to that point – an informative discussion about how amateur players can secure a fresh start after being released by professional academies.
Ndiaye, who played Sunday League football directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is expertly placed to address this topic. “Don’t concentrate on the rejection and one day your luck is going to arrive,” he informed a young player shortly before executing said impressive trick on his victim, in doing so perfectly illustrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been working to minimize.
Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to go slightly overboard. A younger Michael Owen gleefully humiliating a teenage keeper in front of a smouldering Neville Southall is clearly the benchmark in this unique area – but the ex-Anfield star is far from the only offender. Both Christian Eriksen and Shinji Kagawa have made young children cry with a series of merciless tricks, 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 related tag of #friendship.
Kagawa’s previous Borussia partners Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Nuri Sahin at least had the manners to suffer a loss against 100 children when the trio lined up during the half-time break of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso showed less mercy when they took on 109 Chinese kids in a like situation. But coming full circle, it’s estimated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing competitive youth leagues in England will ever play in the Premier League, a stark reality for young players across the country.
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DAILY HIGHLIGHT
“Soccer carried me but it never left me because I never abandoned my dream. I went from team to team. The passion for soccer propels you. I couldn’t always see where it was leading me. But today I have the answer” – national team manager Veljko Paunovic takes time out from his training to reflect on his path.
FAN FEEDBACK
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“Sources state that 1,024 players in the Turkish league have been suspended due to suspected participation in a betting scandal. It would be fantastic 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 pedants. If I volunteer to be banned from playing professionally in Turkey (not much of a loss at my age and, um, talent), are there 32 more folks willing to assist my effort for harmony?” – Mike Wilner.
“As a daily reader and Florida resident, can I in advance protest about the coming period of published letters about which highway one uses to get to various locations in your island nation? I mean, I was stuck in gridlock on I-4 at 2am on a Tuesday night driving through Orlando once, but that’s the entire tale. There’s no rewarding moral 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.
“Regarding Wythenshawe FC, I remember many years ago playing for a Sunday, very social side, Turnpike Lane Hibs, on Clapham Common. One morning a bloke introduced 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 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 twenties. To ensure a positive atmosphere for everyone, we have a simple rule of thumb regarding the skill level: you can be fast or skilled, but ideally not both. We periodically have players who violate this rule, but usually manage to drag them down to our level over time” – Lars Esbjerg.
