Unfortunately, four years ago, when Chu Zhongtian was forced to say goodbye to football, he left in a cowardly manner. No one could sit by his side and listen to his crying and complaining about his unwillingness to giving up football. But he knew the pain of being forced to give up football - it was like a girl who had been in love for ten years suddenly ran to him and said, "My father won't let me play with you anymore, let's break up."

Chu Zhongtian had never been in a relationship, but he felt that the legendary love breakup was nothing more than that.

Why?

Because the book says that couples will be heartbroken after a breakup, and they will be heartbroken and cry all day long. The sixteen-year-old Chu Zhongtian did this during the days when he was forced to give up football - he didn't want to eat, had no appetite, was very sad, and locked himself in the bedroom and cried secretly. He even felt that he had no intention of living anymore.

Fortunately, he had a good father and kept enlightening him so that he could slowly survive the most difficult days.

But until now, he can still remember the feeling at that time, as if something very important in his life was lost.

Therefore, when he heard Russell smiling and saying "I don't plan to play football again", his first reaction was surprise, and the second reaction was surprise.

"No more football? What does it mean? What about the invitation from Weiling United?"

"I have refused."

“Wimbledon…”

"I won't come back."

"why is that?"

"It's very simple. I was seriously injured and couldn't continue playing football - if I still wanted to walk like a normal person." Russell said this without expression, and his emotions looked very stable.

But Chu Zhongtian didn't believe that he could really be so calm unless he didn't like football at all.

"It's just an injury. Ronaldo has suffered such serious injuries twice and has returned to the court!" Chu Zhongtian retorted. "Look at his performance in the World Cup last year, how many people regard him as the third-generation football king?"

Russell didn't say anything, but put the off-lifted sneakers and socks aside and sat on the grass barefoot. Chu Zhongtian noticed a shocking wound on his left ankle, pointing obliquely towards his knees, like a centipede.

"The wound after the operation." Russell noticed Chu Zhongtian's gaze, and pointed to his left ankle. Then he pulled down the knee pad on his right knee, and there was a similar "centipede" on it.

"Have I told you about my things?" He looked at Chu Zhongtian and asked.

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. They had a bad relationship before, and he had no habit of inquiring about other people's privacy, so he didn't know much about Russell. He knew nothing except that he had been trained in the Wimbledon echelon and his family seemed to be in good condition.

"Well..." Russell asked after pondering for a while. "I heard that you have received football training in your country. Is that true, Chu?"

Chu Zhongtian nodded and said, "That's right. I have received ten years of training in the football school because I like football."

"I'm about the same as you."

※※※Alai Russell was born in a middle-class family. His father had his own company and his mother was a nurse. Later, after having his younger brother Luther, their mother quit her job and focused on being a housewife at home.

Russell showed his high football talent when he was very young. At the age of six, he was able to pass all his peers over and over again like wooden stakes. So his father, who was also a fan, sent him to the junior team of Wimbledon Club for training. He studied and played football and quickly stood out.

So when he was ten years old, he was promoted to Wimbledon to play football in the under-twelve youth team, competing with the teenagers one year older than him. It was at that time that he met Borger.

"Borge is one year older than you?" Chu Zhongtian was a little surprised.

"Can't you tell me?" Russell laughed. "Did you always think I'm older than him?"

Chu Zhongtian nodded. Judging from his daily performance, Russell was a little more mature than Borger... He always thought that Russell was bigger than Borger because Borger looked more like a small follower.

Russell smiled even more proudly, which was also a kind of praise for him - boys all hoped that they would look more mature than their actual age.

"He originally wanted me to be his follower, but after losing to me in training, he became mine..." At this point, Russell paused for a moment before continuing, "Friend."

Chu Zhongtian knew that Russell was already better than the young players who were one year older than him when he was only ten years old. This talent is really better than himself... Think about what he was doing when he was ten years old? In addition to being able to run, he was not outstanding in his feet skills, let alone playing with his opponents after several people.

After Russell and Borger became friends, the two cooperated tacitly and made great achievements in the game. Soon their two colleagues advanced to the under-thirteen youth team. At that time, Borger was eleven and a half years old, and Russell was only eleven years old.

At that time, Russell and Borger often played football, played, and went to Sheikhist Park Stadium to watch Wimbledon's game together. On the way back, they would be excited to discuss those professional players. The biggest ideal is to play football in professional teams and become a professional player.

Chu Zhongtian also had such an ideal, but he had this vague idea for a long time - Chinese football began to be professionalized until 1994. Before that, playing football became a profession, which Chu Zhongtian had never heard of and had never thought about.

At that time, many players who played football in professional teams only fell in love with the "sports team"'s iron rice bowl. The salary of the sports team was only a few dozen yuan a month. However, the state controls food, accommodation and clothes, which is very tempting in the hearts of many children who like football and parents who send their children to play football. At that time, state-owned enterprises were very popular employment units, and the sports team was almost a state-owned enterprise. Moreover, they could still be a coach after retirement, and they would stay in the sports system for the rest of their lives and would not starve to death.

Later, when there was a professional league, Chu Zhongtian realized that playing football can not only make money, but also make a lot of money. He thought of becoming a professional player and making a lot of money.

Compared with Russell and his ideal, Chu Zhongtian's ideal is much more rustic.

If the situation continues to develop according to the previous situation, Russell and Borger will definitely be able to realize their ideals, because both of them are one of the most skilled players in the team. They are extremely talented and the best among their peers.

The problem began to appear at the age of fifteen. As football became more and more exposed to physical contact against these events, the skilled Russell and Borger began to find that they could not play anymore. The peers who were teased by them before can now easily cut off their balls with their physical advantages, and the head coach would not call the opponent for fouls.

They began to realize that football is not a good sport with only skills... Russell and Borger's pace of upgrading slowed down, and they could no longer challenge opponents who were one or two years older than them. From this point of view, Russell and Borger's talent was only in the upper mid-range position when putting it in the entire world football world. Otherwise, a real genius, even if they were weak, could still play with opponents who were several times stronger than them.

No matter how talented they are, as they get older, the more trouble they get. They are often easily squeezed out of position by their opponents in the game and concede the ball. They are no longer the best among their peers, but become ugly ducklings.

As they grow older, the ideals of professional football are moving away from them.

This is a cruel fact.

"I've been injured many times, but this time it's the worst." Russell said calmly.

Finally, when they were eighteen years old, Wimbledon Club announced a contract with them. They played eleven years of football in this team, spent eleven years of childhood and youth, but in the end they received a little compensation and the identity of a free agent.

"Do you think we're having a failure?" Russell asked.

Chu Zhongtian did not express his opinion. He just felt that professional football was cruel. Not every child who loved football could get good results after stepping into the threshold of a professional club. In fact, Chinese football is even more cruel... Almost few children who loved football could get good results after stepping into the football goal.

"After being laid off by the club, my father asked me if I still wanted to play professional football. At that time, I was unwilling to give up, so I went to the training for the withdrawal... Do you know what the training is?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head.

"It's just that many 17 or 18-year-old children who were abandoned by the original club like me made their last efforts to give up football in order to be unwilling to give up football. They usually have many clubs to watch in such games, but they are not good clubs, they are all very low-level clubs. At that time, I didn't care about those things anymore and wanted to continue playing football. So I went there."

Russell continued.

The result was a failure, perhaps because he cared too much, perhaps because he was too nervous, or perhaps because he was not very adapted to the atmosphere of crowding with a single-plank bridge, Russell failed. He performed in a mess. After the game, no club expressed interest in him, and he had to accept this cruel reality - football cannot continue playing, so he should make a living.

"I went to college. My father originally wanted me to go to Harvard, but there was no Wimbledon game to watch, so I stayed here. Unexpectedly, I got the ball again a year later."

He refers to the founding of Wimbledon Athletics.

This team, which is entirely composed of fans themselves, gave Russell the opportunity to play again, and Chu Zhongtian is also one of the beneficiaries.

"So you've rekindled the idea of ​​playing football again?" Chu Zhongtian asked.

"To be honest, it wasn't that strong before meeting Willing United head coach Paul Parker," Russell replied. "After receiving the invitation, I thought about it for several days before finally confirming that I still want to play professional football."

If we follow this line, the final outcome should Russell successfully join the Weling United, quickly became a core player in the team, leading the Weling United to successfully upgrade, and he was favored by a more advanced club, perhaps the English Second Division, perhaps the English First Division, or even... the Premier League.

By then, the ideals of childhood will be realized.

But fate always likes to tease people.

If you are not injured, this should be the case.

"But I can't kick now." Russell spread his hands.

Speaking of this, Chu Zhongtian also fell silent. He didn't know how to answer. He could only wait for Russell to continue.

But Russell didn't mean to say anything. He sat on the ground and stared blankly at the goal not far ahead.

What is he thinking? Do he regret it? Are he unwilling to give up?

Chu Zhongtian stood up from the ground, patted the grass clippings and soil on his butt, picked up the football, and then suddenly took a step back, swung his right foot and shot the football still in the air at the goal.

This time he suppressed the football but missed the shot.

The football drew an arc and flew from the right side of the goal into the woods.

Russell whistled behind him. "It's so smelly!"

"I have been practicing here for the past three months. If you want to say it smells bad, it is also the smell you teach." Chu Zhongtian retaliated.

According to past experience, Russell should immediately retort, saying that Chu Zhongtian’s own level was not good and his understanding was too low. But today he just shook his head: “It’s a pity that we have no time.”

I used to have not had much time, but now I have completely lost time.

His training for Chu Zhongtian was over until this afternoon, and at this moment.

"Why don't you have time? You don't play football anymore, but you still have to continue to go to school, right? How about staying at Wimbledon Art School and teaching me how about playing football?"

Chu Zhongtian got the answer to shake his head.

"I won't stay in this school, either," Russell said as he looked at the campus bathed in the afterglow of the sunset.

"Why?"

"I stayed here to go to school just because I was closer to the Wimbledon team I like. Now that Wimbledon is moving, the new Wimbledon is still in the ninth level, so it doesn't make sense to stay here." Russell breathed.

"Then where are you going?"

"America. My father hopes that I can take over his business in the future. I have to learn something related to the economy, right?" Russell spread his hands.

Chu Zhongtian outlined the distance between Britain and the United States in his mind, and then shook his head: "What a pity."

It's a pity that Russell can't guide him anymore in the future. He believes that this person's level of coaching is higher than that of a player.

When Russell heard him say this, he laughed: "What? I haven't been tortured enough yet?"

"Anyway, I really got the benefits." Chu Zhongtian's answer made Russell laugh. After thinking about it carefully, although he was Chu Zhongtian's coach, he overwhelmed his identity and had a little bit of fun in his mouth, the other party was the one who really took advantage of it in the end. This Chinese boy is not stupid... Chu Zhongtian looked at Russell who was still sitting on the ground, "Actually, what I have always wanted to say - if you become a coach, you will definitely be very good."

“It’s a pity that I don’t like being a coach.”

"It's really a pity."

Russell also got up from the ground and walked barefoot towards his own backpack. It was time to change his shoes and go back.

After changing his shoes, he said goodbye to Chu Zhongtian.
To be continued...