Ndiaye, Harlem Globetrotters-Level Moves and Revealing Football Statistics

IS THERE REALLY A POSSIBILITY?

Unless you’ve missed the clip of Iliman Ndiaye pulling off a unusual dribbling move at Everton’s training ground, it’s a good watch. By pulling off a move so spectacular that it would have fit right in at a Harlem Globetrotters friendly display, the skill quickly concluded what was meant to be a lighthearted kickabout to conclude what had been – up to that point – an illuminating interview about how non-professionals can get another opportunity after being dropped from professional academies.

Ndiaye, who featured in non-league games directly before being picked up by Sheffield United at 19, is perfectly positioned to discuss this topic. “Avoid dwelling on the rejection and one day your luck is going to come through,” he told a young player immediately prior to using said spectacular skill on his opponent, in doing so clearly demonstrating the gulf between Premier League and amateur footballers he had been attempting to dispel.

Ndiaye is far from the only professional footballer to take things that little bit too far. Peak Michael Owen happily embarrassing a 13-year-old goalkeeper in front of a fuming Neville Southall is undoubtedly the prime example 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 harsh skills, although it’s considered 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 three competed during the interval of their farewell game for BVB. A Real Madrid XI that contained Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso were not so generous when they played against 109 Chinese kids in a comparable scenario. But returning to the beginning, it’s calculated that only 180 of the 1.5 million boys currently playing structured junior soccer in England will ever feature in the Premier League, a harsh truth for aspiring footballers across the country.

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DAILY HIGHLIGHT

“The game guided me but it never abandoned me because I never gave up on my goal. I went from location to location. The passion for soccer drives you. I couldn’t always see where it was taking me. But today I have the answer” – Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic pauses briefly from his preparations to reflect on his career.

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