In fact, the media is so "aggressive" about an unknown player, mainly because Donn announced a "gag order" after the incident with Millwall, not allowing any players and staff to be interviewed by the media, and the team's training has changed from open to closed, not to mention reporters, and even fans can't find their favorite players to sign autographs on the sidelines of the training ground.

The fans are well understood, for the sake of the team's results. But the media is different, if you don't let them interview, it is equivalent to not giving them the opportunity to make news, and not allowing them to make money. The media in England is very competitive, and journalists who run ahead of the curve are likely to lose their jobs if they don't write a story. So the media wants the clubs to work together.

Don doesn't know what to do, he just thinks the team needs a quiet atmosphere right now, adjust their mentality, and prepare for the next series of important games. So simply announce the team's closed training. Unexpectedly, he offended the media who still liked him very much, even his newly signed Freddie. Eastwood also fell into bad luck, and even his personal habits became an excuse to question his abilities.

Don has read all these media articles, and for a new player, facing such doubts is almost equivalent to a catastrophe. Because he hasn't done anything yet, he has already been completely denied first. The psychological quality is almost drowned in the saliva of the media.

But Don wasn't in a hurry, as he found that Eastwood's usual training didn't show that he had been affected. Either the gypsy never reads sports newspapers, or he is confident in himself. Donn was more inclined to the latter, based on what he knew about the gypsy these days.

To that end, he has included the Gypsy in the squad for the Stadium of Light and will consider Eastwood if the timing is right. There is no better way to refute the ignorant media with concrete actions.

※※※ January 6th, the morning before the race. The rare sunshine in the Nottingham sky brought a good mood to Done, who had arrived at the training base early to wait for his players.

For away games, the team will gather this morning, then take a group bus to Sunderland, and in the afternoon go to the Stadium of Light for acclimatisation training to prepare for the next day's league game.

At the door, Donn saw the familiar blue trailer, which was quietly parked inside the gate. Don looked along the path outside the training ground, and saw a man and a horse swaying towards him in the distance, and the crisp sound of horses' hooves broke the quiet of the early morning at the training base.

"Good morning, Freddy." When the other party approached, Don raised his hand to greet him.

"Good morning, sir." Freddie jumped off his horse and clutched the reins in his hands. It seems that he is in a good mood.

"Are you still used to living here?"

"Nice, quiet and no one was disturbing. Serem and I both loved staying here. ”

Don nodded: "That's good, if there are any difficulties in life, just mention them to the club, and anything can be solved...... Uh, except for building stables in the open field. ”

Eastwood laughed, patting the black horse on the neck and combing it with its shiny mane: "It's fine in the pet store, Serem and I searched for a lot of places to find a place that is willing to take it in, and no other home is that big." ”

"Well, you said you were a Forest player, I think they would be more happy."

"Yes, sir. I said, or the owner of the shop wouldn't want to. ”

Don laughed: "Freddy, when you score in the game, I think that boss will rush to sign another pet feeding contract with you." ”

The topic naturally shifted from trivial matters of life to competitions.

"Have you read what the media have to say about you?" Donn asked.

Eastwood nodded. "I've read it all, there's nothing new, it's all those words over and over again." He shrugged his shoulders again and said with some disdain, "There's no evidence that I'm not playing well." Will I play this game, sir? ”

Don shook his head and said honestly, "I don't know, it depends on how the game goes." If we can't break the deadlock for too long, I might consider playing with you, I've only got you a striker, and if you want to make changes up front, you're the only one to change. ”

I saw that Eastwood didn't speak anymore, just kept stroking his foal. Donn asked, "Can you tell me why you like to warm up before the race?" ”

"I don't know why...... I've always loved horses, and maybe a walk on a horse will calm me down and stop being nervous. Actually, too, I'm never nervous about the upcoming matches. Eastwood spoke his answer. Donn believes that's the secret to why he keeps scoring goals – a normal heart.

He doesn't care if there are reporters paying attention, he doesn't care about the doubts in the media, he doesn't care how much money he makes every week, he doesn't care if the life in the station wagon is cold, he doesn't care what people look at him, whether it's expectation or disappointment, he never thinks about these things that have nothing to do with him.

Countless people care about how much they get all the time, and as a result, they lose even more. Eastwood, a simple Gypsy who just wanted to play, got his first professional contract.

Thinking of this, Donn said to him, "Freddy, you already know the rumors about me in the team, right?" Donn was referring to the legend that the Forest manager had the ability to foresee, which came out of Burns' pub.

"Do you mean that wizard rumor, sir?"

"Looks like you already know, that's right! I have the ability to foresee! ”

"Is it more accurate than us Gypsies?" Eastwood asked with a smile.

"Of course! Freddy, you're going to score lots and lots of goals, get trophies and medals that you hold in both hands, and you're going to make a lot of money. Don said mysteriously. When the time comes, you can buy a piece of land, build a small estate by yourself, build a stable, and ride a horse every day! ”

Eastwood laughed, "Thank you, sir, for your advice, I'll consider it seriously, if I really make that much money......"

"No, no, it's not advice, it's prophecy, prophecy. You're going to make it, I don't look away! "Don looked at his watch, the time was almost up." You go back to breakfast, it's almost time for the team to assemble. ”

Eastwood said goodbye to Donne, turned on his horse, clamped his legs, and rode away amid a neigh.

Behind Donn, the red Forest bus had stopped at the entrance of the club's base.

※※※ Sunderland, Stadium of Light. Sandwiched between the two full stands is a large screen that clearly displays the two players, the time of the game, and the current score:

Sunderland v Nottingham Forest, 77 minutes, 0-0.

The stadium was buzzing with people, and despite the home team's current delay, Sunderland's fans were still singing and cheering on the team. Don has also seen a lot of such scenes in the city stadium, and he has long stopped lamenting that "the quality of England fans is high".

At this moment, Freddy, wearing the No. 23 jersey. Eastwood was standing on the sidelines, waiting for dead ball time.

He will replace defensive midfielder Eugen. Pope, and Gareth. Taylor was the double arrow, and Don was ready to strike the fatal blow.

Freddie, who was only twenty years old. Eastwood has endured some of the biggest ups and downs in his life during the year, having his future ruined after a West Ham Academy came through a broken bone. He can only help his father sell second-hand cars at home, and it seems that this is the case for the rest of his life, and he has a few more children with his wife, and then lives in a caravan and lives a traditional gypsy life. But he got back on the pitch, but it was an amateur game with no stands and no televised broadcasts, and he wanted to prove that he could still play, even though his dream of becoming a professional seemed to be getting farther and farther away.

Until one day a little over a month ago, a man came to the door and asked, "Freddie, do you still want to play professional football?" The fire of dreams in his heart was rekindled.

The man was the only one who believed he could still play professional football, so he joined the team he coached and now played his first game for the team, even though it was less than fifteen minutes away.

A minute earlier, the man had called himself over and told him to take off his warm-up vest and get ready to play. Without any superfluous words, he only told himself: "Essentially, there is no difference between professional and amateur competitions...... So shoot more when you receive the ball, whether you're outside the box or inside the goal area. ”

He chewed gum with a relaxed expression. The boos and chants of the Sunderland fans in the stands could not intimidate themselves, nor did the fourth-placed team in the First Division. Because, essentially...... There is no difference between amateur and professional competitions, both are played on the same size of the course. The goal is not that big because it is an amateur, and football is not heavier because it is a professional game.

"Nottingham Forest have made a change by using striker Freddy Brown, who has just been brought in from the amateur league. Eastwood, who replaced defensive midfielder Eugen. Pope. "John. Mortenson explained the substitution very procedurally, and did not see anything different. 'Coach Donn wants to step up the attack and he doesn't want to go back to Nottingham empty-handed. But there was nothing to expect from this substitution, a striker who had broken his leg and only played in the amateur league...... While I don't think Coach Donn is a philanthropist, this young man really can't expect much. He shook his head.

Finally, the Forest team got a throw-in in front of the court, and the fourth official once again held up a sign for substitutions.

Pope gasped and ran down, high-fived Eastwood and returned to the bench.

A male voice on the live radio announces the away team's substitution. There was a burst of boos from the home stands. Not every away player will enjoy such a "treatment", and it is clear that the 0:0 score not only made the Sunderland players on the field impatient, but also made the "black cat" fans in the stands feel bad.

"Get back into your country caravan, gypsy!"

"We'll break your leg again!"

"Amateur league boy, this is not the place for you!!"

Eastwood didn't hear anything, and he ran to the touchline, ready to meet his team-mates' throws.

Forest's serving players deliberately delayed the game, which caused displeasure among the Sunderland fans and boos inside the Stadium of Light even further. Freddy. Eastwood caught the ball thrown by his team-mates in the midst of this deafening boo that was enough to cause a heart attack.

He took the ball calmly, turned around, and no one came up to defend him. Yes, who cares about this amateur player who made his debut and broke his leg? He dribbled the ball down the middle, but still no one came up to press him.

Done's words rang in his ears again: "...... Shoot more after receiving the ball, whether it's outside the box or inside the goal area. ”

So he slammed the ball forward, leaned back slightly with his left foot, and picked up the right leg that had been kicked off...... The body is like a taut bow, and after letting go, it suddenly bursts out with huge energy!

Long - Shoot!

The ball flew towards the goal like a cannonball, and the Sunderland goalkeeper jumped high, but only pounced on the wind brought by the football after it, and behind him, the net was lifted fiercely!

“eastwooooooooooooooood！！” Mortenson shouted violently, "A blow of genius! What a beautiful goal! Thirty meters of long shot! ”

The huge boos of the Stadium of Light disappeared without a trace at this moment, and everyone was stupefied by this shot! The mouths that were constantly spitting out expletives were wide open, and they forgot how to close them.

After the goal, Eastwood rushed to the sidelines, sliding on his knees on the turf, and behind him, the Forest players were pounced on him!

Looking at Eastwood from the sidelines who were crushed by his teammates, Walker excitedly shouted in Donn's ear: "Tony! You're right! He blew us all away! He blew all the Sunderlanders by surprise! ”

Donn, on the contrary, was not as excited as Walker, he just stood in front of the dugout and applauded. Because he knew Eastwood could do it, he could score goals, he could score more.

As the TV replayed Eastwood's long-range shot from 30 metres out, Mortensen's excited voice continued: "This is his first shot on goal after seven seconds on the pitch!" One goal in seven seconds! No one knew about him seven seconds ago, and now allow me to reintroduce you to you - ladies and gentlemen! That's Freddy. Eastwood!! ”

(To be continued)