"It's true that the youth team is not well paid. But you have to know that even Wayne Rooney's salary in the youth team is only £80 a week, just like you. ”

"Who is Rooney?" Wood looked confused.

Done realized that he had made a mistake, Wood was not a fan, and if he didn't care about football, he really wouldn't have heard the name of this new talent in the Premier League. On 17 August 2002, the 16-year-old Rooney made his Premier League debut for Everton, and then scored the only goal of the game against Arsenal on 19 October, which was the first league goal of his career, ending the Gunners' previous record of 30 league games unbeaten and shaking English football. Coincidentally, two years later, on 25 October 2004, the 19-year-old Wayne Rooney scored the winner against Arsenal for the first time since joining United, ending the Gunners' unbeaten run in the English top flight after 49 games.

"Well, it's the hottest Everton genius kid who will join the big teams and make a lot of money in the future, he's the same age as you." Donn felt that by telling Wood like this, he would be able to connect himself to Rooney. "Do you know how much money he can make a week now?"

Wood, of course, wouldn't know.

"I don't know." Donn grinned, "Do you know how much money he's going to make in the next week?" ”

Wood shook his head.

Don thought of a joke he had seen online. The background is that Wayne Rooney has just renewed his contract with Manchester United, and a Chinese consortium has offered £850 million to buy Manchester United. Of course, in reality, Manchester United owner Glazer directly refused. The joke is what would happen if the Chinese consortium was successful: Rooney was worried about whether the £120,000 he demanded would be honoured, so he took matters into his own hands and went to the big boss of the Chinese consortium. The boss sat in a chair with Zhongnanhai in his mouth and said to Rooney: "You only have two choices now, either 120,000 pounds a week or 1.2 million yuan." Think about it. Rooney used his little head to calculate for a long time, and finally chose to take 1.2 million yuan. Since then, Rooney has to pay attention to the appreciation of the renminbi every day, never go to strip shows or go to bars to fool around, and watch the situation of China's stock market every day, for fear of affecting his weekly salary. Ferguson saw that Rooney had become so honest now, and patted his head and regretted it: "I knew that I would have paid Beckham's salary in RMB, so he wouldn't have time to chase hot girls." ”

It was a joke, of course, but Don remembered the number: 120,000.

So he stretched out two hands to Wood, one hand to one, and one hand to two. "120,000...... Pound sterling. ”

Wood's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"Guess." Don certainly can't say that I'm from China four and a half years later, when a casual internet search would tell you about the weekly salary of a superstar like Wayne Rooney. "But boy, I'm just letting you know what your weekly salary might be in the future. You train hard in the youth team, you play hard, you grow into a star and you get caught up in the big clubs. When the time comes, they will naturally come to you waving a checkbook, and then find a good agent to help you sign some advertising endorsements for world-famous brands...... I'm telling you, advertising revenue alone is much more than your annual salary at that time. ”

Donn didn't know George; What kind of player will Wood end up being, maybe he won't be a professional player at all. But it doesn't matter, now we need to give young people a little encouragement and hope so that they can see a bright future and then fight for it. What's next...... Then it's up to each of them to be artificial.

'You're going to accept the current £80-a-week youth contract and then train with the youth team to become a big star in the future. Or go back and work as your porter, earning two hundred pounds a week, maybe until you can't move, maybe you'll lose your job halfway through. The choice is yours, boy. With that, Donn turned to watch the first-team matchup, leaving a cool back for Wood.

There was a moment of silence between the two, save for Walker's occasional whistle and the shouts of players alerting each other, and the thud of a football crash.

Donn didn't care what Wood picked. He gave Wood a chance, a chance to choose. If Wood hadn't chosen to stay and continue to work as a porter. Then he will just feel sorry for that beautiful mother in his heart and sympathize a little. Maybe in a week he won't remember the mother and son again, because he himself has to face the challenges of life and fate. He is not a good person with overflowing sympathy, and when he sees someone asking for food, he will take out all the money on his body, not before, and not now.

After a moment, Wood's voice rang out behind him: "Take me to the youth team." ”

Don turned to look at him: "This is your final choice, you won't regret it halfway, right?" ”

Wood shook his head.

Don was still not at ease, so he scared him: "We will sign the contract." If you breach the contract, you will have to pay damages. ”

Wood nodded, "I know." ”

"That's good. Go back to the locker room and change into this outfit and come with me. ”

※※※

Don with George; Wood walked through the first-team training base and made a beeline for the youth team. To be honest, although Donn is a youth team head coach, this is the first time he has been here. Compared to the first team, the youth team base feels newer and more modern, and even the gate is electric. The doorman is also a uniformed security guard, not an ardent old fan.

The youth base, like the first team base, is surrounded by rows of greenery, surrounded by open space, with no tall buildings nearby, and excellent views. A little further north, after the woods, is the Trent, Nottingham's mother river.

After Donn left the youth team, the supervisor was replaced by his former assistant coach David; David Kerslake. Since it's his old partner, he doesn't have so many polite greetings. Donn brings Wood directly to Chris Lack.

"George; Wood. Donn pointed to Wood and introduced Chrislac, "This kid is very physical, let him train with you and see what he can do." ”

Chris Rac looked at it and agreed with Donn's assessment of the kid: the physical fitness is very good. Look at his shoulders, and his legs, they are as thick as a horse's legs, strong and powerful.

He beckoned Wood over, "How old are you, young man." ”

"Seventeen."

"What position do you like to play?"

"Striker." Because strikers can score goals, it's easier to be famous, and there are goal awards, it's messy...... In short, Wood's poor knowledge of football led him to think that being a striker would be very "lucrative".

"Good, let's go to the locker room and change and then come to training!" Chris Rac noticed that Donn was making a look at him, so he simply dismissed Wood, and asked, "Tony, is there something wrong?" ”

"Uh...... I want to remind you a little that he's a total football rookie. ”

"Rookie?"

"In terms of the level of football, he may not even be as good as the students who only take physical education classes in secondary school and are exposed to football."

Chris Rac looked at Donn's expression, not at all like he was joking. He suddenly felt a headache. "Tony ......"

"Well, because his family situation is complicated and he is relatively poor...... It just so happened that he helped me once. I decided to give him a chance to try his hand at youth and maybe he could become a professional footballer or maybe he couldn't...... In short, you take care of him a little, but whether you can practice it depends on his own. After watching Wood's miserable performance for 20 minutes, Donn didn't want to cause more trouble for his old partner......

Chris Rac sighed, "I see, I'll do my best." However, his physical fitness is really good, but as a beginner, his age is really ......"

Don nodded: "There are exceptions to everything, what if this kid becomes an exception?" ”

Chrislak continued to sigh: "It's too slim. Gambling all your youth and energy on such a slim possibility...... Forest's youth system is excellent, but it can produce a few Jermain; Jenas? ”

"David, that kid has just experienced a very important choice in his life, it's not a question of whether to gamble or not, he doesn't have any hope in the first place......" Donn thought of life in that ghetto, "if he wants to have hope, he has to do it." All we can do is give him a chance. ”

Chrisrak nodded, "Don't worry, Tony." I will teach him as much as I can. ”

Donn smiled and patted Chrisrak, "We were all brought out by Paul, and I believe in your abilities." "Both of them were Paul; Hart's assistant coach on the youth team.

As he spoke, Wood had already run out in his youth team training uniform. Don stopped him, intending to give him a few final words. He's going to have to concentrate on the first team and he's going to have very, very little time here.

Crislak wisely chose to avoid and he returned to the training ground to continue his work.

"George." When there was no one else around, Donn said to Wood, "I know your situation very well, and I believe you know better than I do." But I'm still saying the same thing: don't take professional football lightly, or it will punish you. Don't think about anything here, just keep your head down and practice. If you have a problem, come to me. Your mother is a good person, don't let her down. ”

Wood nodded vigorously.

"Let's go, let's train!"

George; Wood turned and ran to the training ground, where there were teammates about his age and his own future that was still hazy. What kind of kick can this kid be able to play, Don En has no bottom in his heart.

Looking at Wood's back, Donn sighed as much as Chrislack. Do your best, Ann Tianfang, boy, see what you create......

He then turned in the opposite direction to Wood and left the youth team training base.

※※※

Donne, who returned to the first-team training ground, was told by Walker that Mr. Chairman and his son had just come to the training ground and introduced his son to everyone. And let him go to the chairman's office when he comes back.

Don muttered in his heart when he heard the news. The old man is angry? Just because he introduced his son, and he was angry when he wasn't here, it obviously didn't fit the measure that a chairman should have......

"Didn't he say anything?" Donn asked Walker.

Walker shook his head. Don opened his legs and was about to leave, but he heard Walker add, "But Mr. Chairman's face is very grim. ”

Tang En's heart suddenly "chuckled". Although the team lost the FA Cup, it can be seen from the chairman's special call to congratulate that it should not be related to the results. Is it a locker room thing? Done knew that English football was full of traditions, but he didn't expect a president to care so much about traditions......

Nervously, he hurried to the chairman's office, one floor above his manager's office.

Knocking on the door, I saw Chairman Nigel sitting behind a large desk; Dogety. The boss's desk in front of him was much bigger than the one in his office! There were only two people in this room, one was Nigel; Dogotty, the other being his son Evan; Dogety.

Don didn't expect this "American" Englishman to be there, and he was a little stunned, but a smile quickly appeared on his face.

"Mr. President, Mr. Evan."

After saying hello, Nigel got up from his chair, still holding a piece of paper in his hand, and walked over to Donn.

Don looked nervously at the paper in Chairman Nigel's hand, it couldn't be a letter of dismissal, right? The first job he found after graduating from college was quit after three months, and that's how the manager took a pay stub for Donn to sign and leave.

Just helped a poor teenager find hope in life, but now he has no hope...... What can I do if I lose my job as a coach? He doesn't understand anything!

The chairman spoke: "This is a fax from the FA......"

What? Don thought he had misheard. What happened to the FA when I was dismissed?

"They want you to go to London tomorrow for a hearing."

Donn's head reacted: "Is it a question about my remarks after that game?" ”

Nigel nodded.

Although it was not a letter of dismissal, Don's mood did not improve in the slightest. Causing such a big trouble to the club, according to Chinese tradition, it is also impossible to escape the fate of being dismissed by the team.

But then Nigel's words made Donn feel that his life was full of sunshine.

'The club will fully support you and we have put together a footage of that game and submitted it to the FA. There was no problem with those two goals going in. ”

Donn looked up at Nigel again, and Mr. Chairman said to him with a smile on his face: "Prepare me, tomorrow my son will go to London with you." ”

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