Chapter 176 The Red Army Soul

Xiao Ming quickly found Gerald from the crowd, nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a slightly green face, and a slightly locked brow that has always been - Gerald's appearance is actually easy to recognize, especially in my previous life, I don't know how many times I have watched Gerald on TV, Xiao Ming found Gerald from the crowd almost at a glance.

Of course, he would not say so quickly who he liked. This is a mistake that only a fool would make. Anyway, he had found the partner he wanted to find, so he would simply observe the other Liverpool youth team players carefully to see if there are any other outstanding players among them.

In the 1990s, Liverpool produced many outstanding youth training players. In addition to the few mentioned earlier, Carragher and Gerrard are also excellent products. However, after Gerrard, Liverpool youth team did not produce any outstanding players. However, this is also a common problem for Premier League giants. Manchester United had to buy people from outside after the 19921 generation. Arsenal had no young players who could show off except Ashley Cole. Walcott was dug from Southampton, not to mention Chelsea, their real youth training product is Terry, but West Ham United's youth training camp is famous, Carrick, Difoe, Joe Kerr, Anton Ferdinand...

The players of Gerald are of good quality, but there is no one who shines Xiao Ming. In fact, Gerald's performance in this group of youth teams is not particularly outstanding. He has good physical fitness and slow speed. However, the position of the midfielder itself is not very outstanding, and Gerald, who is fixed in the rear, rarely shows his long-range shooting skills.

During the watching process, Xiao Ming's face was always unsatisfied. In fact, with his eyes, he really couldn't see any player who can play the main player in Leiden East now, including Gerald. After watching for more than ten minutes, Xiao shook his head with regret: "I am sorry, Mr. Evans, I think you are not too unfamiliar with our team. We are a young team, but most of our young players have excellent performances. These players are good at abilities, but no one can replace any young player in my team."

"Then..." Evans was a little annoyed. Xiao Ming's statement seemed to be looking down on Liverpool's youth team...

Xiao Ming continued: "But since I have agreed to Mr. Evans, I will definitely fulfill my promise... Just that person, the tall man wearing the No. 8 jersey, the one who plays the back of the midfielder."

Evans looked up and said, "Oh, Steven Gerrard, an old player in the youth team. His 18th birthday just passed. He used to be Michael Irving's roommate. He joined our Liverpool youth training camp at the age of nine. He signed a formal professional contract with us last year, but he has not entered the first team yet... But Mr. Xiao Ming, this candidate is a bit difficult to deal with."

Xiao Ming raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Why? I remember you didn't mention this name a few days ago. Is this young man also a non-sale product from Liverpool?"

"No, that's not what it means." Evans waved his hand: "There is no problem from the club. This young man plays as a midfielder. Now we have Ince and McCartill in the midfielder position... but this kid has been a loyal Liverpool since he was a child. Their whole family is a loyal Liverpool fan, and even the entire family... I don't think he is too willing to leave Liverpool... Why do you fall in love with him..."

Xiao Ming shrugged: "Seth Johnson transferred to Derby County. My team needed a young midfielder substitute. Now there is no shortage of people in other positions, so I chose him."

This explanation is very reasonable. Most Premier League clubs use parallel midfield tactics. A team must ensure that at least three midfielders can run well. Leiden Oriental now has only two full-time midfielders, Lenon and Marklele. Even if they play diamond midfielders most of the time, the two midfielders cannot cope with some multiple incidents. After all, it is easy to accumulate yellow cards and suspend the game in this position.

Evans nodded understandingly: "Okay, I will say that to Gerald on behalf of the club, but he has signed a formal contract with the club. If he really doesn't want to leave, we can't force him. At that time, you may have to choose another player."

"I don't like other players, I want him." Xiao Ming said for granted.

Evans choked, but thought that since Xiao Ming had watched it for more than ten minutes, he asked Gerald for what he said was that no one could like. If he could not do this, he would seem too insincere. So he nodded: "Okay, I'll try my best to convince him, then Murphy's transfer..."

"Steven Gerrard, plus one million pounds, Murphy is yours." Xiao Ming said happily: "Of course, you have to convince Murphy to let him join Liverpool. As you said, if the players and the club have contracts and he doesn't want to leave, we can't do anything."

"Then let's say that." Evans nodded: "Mr. Xiao can stay in Liverpool for two days. We will decide this as soon as possible. After all, the training camp before the start of the season will not start long. Players will participate in the training camp earlier and the faster they will integrate into the team, right?"

"You are very reasonable and look forward to the success of our cooperation." Xiao Ming said politely like a British gentleman.

Xiao Ming, who was wandering on the streets of Liverpool, was very anxious. He was really afraid that the deal would be miscarried. He might be sorry for Murphy to say this, but if Gerald and Murphy were put in front of him and asked him to choose, he would definitely choose Gerald without hesitation. When Murphy was the most brilliant time, when he became the "Manchester United nemesis" at Liverpool, he was just a star at best. Gerald, Xiao Ming always believed that he was the only player in the English national team who deserved the word "superstar".

After a day of suffering, Evans called him.

"Steven wants to see you, don't know?" Evans said embarrassedly on the phone that he had already said a lot to Gerald on that day, but the young man did not let go of his words to leave Liverpool. As he expected, he could not say so coldly to Gerald, "The club must leave you." He originally decided to use Gerald as part of Murphy's transfer. However, after he persuaded Gerald for a day, although Gerald did not say that he wanted to leave Liverpool, he told him that he wanted to meet Xiao Ming.

"No problem, I'll arrive soon, was it yesterday's place?"

"Yes."

Most of the training bases of England teams are doing well in greenery, basically surrounded by small forests. In a remote corner, Xiao Ming saw Evans and Gerald.

"Xiao!" Evans greeted Xiao Ming and pointed at Gerald: "This is Steven Gerald, he said he wanted to talk to you before making the final decision." Then he turned to Gerald and said: "Steven, this is Xiao Ming, the chairman of Leiden East. The people who want to introduce you are also the people you want to meet."

"Hello, Steven, I'm glad to see you." Xiao Ming smiled and reached out to Gerald. Gerald shook his hand, then turned to Evans and said, "Mr. Evans, I want to have a separate conversation with Mr. Xiao, is it OK?"

"Of course it's OK." Evans shrugged. He was not interested in the conversation between Xiao Ming and Gerald. He just hoped that Gerald could agree to go to Leiden East so that he could successfully introduce Danny Murphy he was optimistic about.

What Evans wants is an excellent offensive player. He is a head coach who likes offensive football. Irving has been in the Liverpool first team for two years, but Gerald, who is only half a year younger than Irving, can only spend it in the youth team. Evans' personal preferences play a big role in it.

Xiao Ming is glad that Hollier has just taken office. If it is a few months later, when Hollier discovers Gerald's existence, he will use no way to poach Gerald. Now, there is still a chance, although Gerald is obviously unwilling to leave Liverpool...

After Evans left, Gerald did not speak, but looked at Xiao Ming, and Xiao Ming did not speak either. When Gerald was looking at him, he found a place to sit down, and then looked at Gerald. This was the first time he had faced the eighteen-year-old Gerald so close. Although he had seen Gerald's face countless times in later generations, he had never seen such a young Gerald...

Gerald is very young now (nonsense). His slender short hair and tall and well-proportioned body make him look very comfortable. Fortunately, Xiao Ming is 1.8 meters tall. If he is only 1.7 meters tall, it would be very bad to look up at the other person...

After a while, Gerald also did it opposite him, and then he spoke. As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked a topic that seemed to be unrelated to this transfer: "Mr. Xiao Ming, I remember that in a League One game last season, you had a conflict with the Sun reporter at a press conference after the game, and even asked him to take off your shoes... Is this true?"

Xiao Ming was stunned when he heard this question. He thought that Gerald wanted to talk to him alone to ask him what kind of opportunities he could get in Leiden East, but who knew that he asked such a question.

After frowning, Xiao Ming remembered which press conference was asked by Gerald - it was the second round of the League One last season. Leiden Oriental played against Reading at home. Because he taught Keane a lesson on not being too independent on the court during the half-time break. As a result, he came out of the locker room ten minutes late in the second half. At the press conference after the game, a group of reporters asked what happened in the locker room. Xiao Ming used his sprained foot to let Keane help him apply the potion to excuse him. As a result, the idiot reporter from the Sun who stood up asked if it was true. Xiao Ming was in a bad mood and raised his foot to the table and asked him to come over to check it himself...

If Xiao Ming hadn't done this very well and had always been proud of it, he would have almost forgotten it - it's been so long, and he played a small thing like a fool reporter, who would remember it?

"That was the reporter asking for trouble. I explained why I came out of the locker room ten minutes late. He was still asking... The reporter was such a trouble-making creature. He was arrogant and said that the truth was asked, and the public needed the truth... shit! Other newspapers are okay, and garbage newspapers like the Sun still have the face to find the truth? Don't think what they did in the Hillsborough incident, the truth, the ugliest so-called truth in the history of Great Britain was fabricated by them!"

Originally, Xiao Ming wanted to explain that he was not a person who likes to insult people casually. He was generally a gentleman... But later he remembered the face of the reporter at that press conference and couldn't help but scold him. Although he was not a Liverpool fan, he was quite sympathetic to the innocent victims of the Hillsborough tragedy. After knowing what kind of disgraceful role the Sun played at that time, he thought that this was a media without any qualities and journalist morality. However, after scolding for a few words, Xiao Ming came to his senses. It was a very impolite act to mention the name Hillsborough in front of a Liverpool player.

This is the most painful place in the hearts of all Liverpool fans.

Just as he was about to apologize to Gerald, he found that Gerald, whose face had been calm since the beginning of the meeting, had suddenly changed his face.

Pain, anger, gratitude... All kinds of complex emotions appeared on Gerald's face. Such heavy and complex emotions appeared on such a young face, which really scared Xiao Ming - no, it's like this when it comes to Hillsborough? It seems that he shouldn't say so much...

Just as Xiao Ming was thinking about it, he saw Gerald bow deeply to him.

Seeing Gerald bent down to him, Xiao Ming was stunned again. Isn’t this meeting today a meeting between the club owner and the players? How come it looks like this...

"Mr. Xiao, I have to thank you." Gerald's face straightened back calmed down: "After the Hillsborough incident, the Sun became the newspaper that we Liverpool people hate the most, but we are just fans, and we have no way to do anything. We can only refuse to buy this newspaper, but it is not enough. Even if I am a Liverpool player, I cannot express my anger to this newspaper that has not apologized yet... Thank you, although I just mentioned it, I think all Liverpool fans will thank you."

Xiao Ming said naively: "I didn't do anything, it's just that the reporter's attitude made me unhappy, and I don't like the Sun."

"No matter what it is, in short, if you do this, I have to thank you." Gerald said in a deep voice: "I think you should know that among the ninety-six victims at that time, the youngest was only ten years old."

Xiao Ming nodded, he knew this.

"Maybe you don't know that the ten-year-old child is my cousin, Joe Paul. He was one year older than me at that time. I participated in a training camp at Liverpool's youth training camp that day, so I didn't go, otherwise maybe I would be one of the victims." Gerald said softly.

Xiao Ming suddenly raised his head. He really didn't know about this. He had never paid attention to such a behind-the-scenes footage in his previous life. In fact, this news was only heard when Gerald spoke on behalf of the Liverpool Club at the event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy in 2009. People who were not interested in the Hillsborough tragedy and Liverpool's loyal fans probably wouldn't notice the news. Obviously, Xiao Ming does not belong to one of these two people.

Looking at the surprised Xiao Ming, Gerald smiled bitterly: "Many people around me know about this, but not many people know about it... I hope you don't say it out loud, I don't want too many people to know, unless one day I can let all England hear my words and hear my nostalgia for my cousin... We had a good relationship at that time."

Xiao Ming nodded understandingly. A nine-year-old child who is about the same age as him will always have a good relationship. It is the friendship of childhood and the most sincere friendship.

"I didn't think about leaving Liverpool," Gerald continued.

"I understand." Xiao Ming nodded, and he heard a very touching story.

Then Xiao Ming stood up and said, "Disturbation... Maybe I shouldn't have proposed to introduce you from the beginning. A player like you belongs to Liverpool, because the soul of your good friend is floating above Anfield. You shouldn't leave Liverpool. Giving everything you have for this team is what you should do. I don't have the right to stop this, and no one can do it."

Speaking of this, Xiao Ming smiled and said to Gerald: "I will tell Mr. Evans to let him notice that there is a treasure in the youth team... I will talk to Mr. Evans about Murphy's transfer. You don't need to be scruples. Even if the negotiations break down in the end, it has nothing to do with you."

"Do you really think so?" Gerald also stood up and suddenly asked.

"Yes, there is a Chinese saying that a forced melon is not sweet, which means don't force anything... I don't like to force others, and I only need a player who is willing to play for me, so... so... until now, I can't destroy a Liverpool boy's dream of playing for his favorite team." Xiao Ming shrugged and replied.

Just as he turned around and was about to leave, Gerald's voice came from behind.
Chapter completed!