The next day, when Chu Zhongtian was running and taking the ball to school, he passed by the newsstand and found that the newsstand was full of people. Everyone raised their change in their hands to buy newspapers with their boss.

He felt strange - he ran over in front of this newsstand many times before, but he had never seen so many people today. Curiously, he set his pace, walked behind the crowd, and saw the colorful newspapers inside through the cracks.

He just glanced at the photos of head coach Eames. The newspapers with photos of Eames were hung on ropes outside the newsstand and fluttered gently in the morning breeze. People gathered around, looking up at the newspaper, taking change out of their pockets, and then pointing at the newspaper and saying to the boss: "Give me one."

That was a Daily Telegraph, which was not a tabloid in terms of scale. If there was news about Wimbledon in such a national newspaper, it was no wonder that the owner of the newsstand would specifically read this page and hang it outside for people to see.

Although there are photos, there is not much actual content. Below the photo is a short news: "A team composed entirely of fans - Wimbledon AFC (AFC Wimbledon, which will be collectively referred to as Wimbledon Athletics in the future) aims to upgrade. They hope to return to the top league, although there is still a long way to go. But from the moment, their first step is very successful. Currently, they are only eight points away from the league championship, and it is very likely that they will successfully advance to the eighth-level league in the first season of building the team. The team's head coach, former Wimbledon legendary defender Terry Eames, seemed full of confidence in his interview..."

There are more than one newspaper hanging on the rope. Chu Zhongtian looked at it one by one and all reported to Wimbledon. And they were talking about the same topic - Wimbledon's Athletics is very likely to be upgraded, one step closer to their goal of returning to the top league.

Chu Zhongtian finished reading all these reports about Wimbledon. While he was reading the newspaper, the group of people in front of him kept paying for the newspaper, and then someone added to repeat what others had done before. Someone excitedly discussed Wimbledon's prospects for this season and whether they would really appear in the Ismian League One next season... Everyone's face was filled with hopeful smiles.

In just one day, news that Wimbledon was about to escalate the goal has spread to almost all Wimbledon fans who care about this team.

At school, Charles Philip and Joseph Kenny held Chu Zhongtian and asked what was going on.

"We really plan to upgrade this season?"

"Do we have enough strength?"

Chu Zhongtian just nodded because they only nodded their questions to answer them.

After receiving a positive answer from the "insider", the two of them ran to the side and started to fantasize.

"... This season is upgraded to level, next season is over and level one, followed by level seven, six, and fifth... One level one year, and nine-level jumps in nine years, we will definitely become the most magical team in English football history!"

"I can still participate in the FA Cup next season, that's a big event! I don't know how far we can go..."

"Going the championship! That's not realistic... Haha! I know! But I can't help but think about it - how great it would be to be able to win the FA Cup again..."

Chu Zhongtian then remembered that in the new season, he could not only look forward to a higher league, but also the most popular FA Cup in England. There, if they performed well and had good luck, they even had hope to play against Premier League teams. Although this hope was very slim, it was not zero.

As long as there is hope, even a little bit, you can work hard.

The FA Cup is called a "hotbed of upsets". What happens when you are in it?

He began to get impatient for the new season.

※※ Later, Chu Zhongtian learned that those media were specially invited by the club’s senior management to promote their promotion. This effect was very significant, that is, more people would pay attention to their games, so that the club could get more ticket revenue. Although this is the ninth level league, it is an amateur league, you still have to buy tickets to enter and watch the game. On March 8th, even in the away game, more than a thousand Wimbledon fans came. Wimbledon swept Coba with a 5:0 away score. Cobham. After returning to home, Wimbledon's opponent was Ashu United. Kings Ranch squeezed in with nearly 5,000 spectators, and they couldn't stand in the stands at all, so people stood in the gap between the stadium and the stands to watch the game. The final score of the game was 5:3. Chu Zhongtian did not participate. Perhaps because they lost three goals, but fortunately Russell and Borger skipped the class again, helping the team scored five goals on the offensive end, and won the game amid the cheers of fans.

They have expanded their nine consecutive victories into eleven consecutive victories, only two games away from the last thirteen consecutive victories record.

"This looks really wonderful. If we win two more games, we can tie the record. If we win three more games, we will set a new record! Haha!" Borger said to his friend Russell after the training.

They had just changed their clothes, came out of the locker room, and were about to take the bus home.

Russell was also quite happy to hear his friend say this. He made great contributions to the team's eleven consecutive victories. Even from another perspective, he made greater contributions to the team than Chu Zhongtian. Because after all, Chu Zhongtian could not play in the midweek game, and he did not lose all of them, and participated, even if he paid the price of skipping classes. Without his organization in the midfield, Wimbledon would have a lot of difficulty to win these eleven games in a row... And for the consecutive victories of these eleven games, Russell gritted his teeth and persevered, or when fighting against Chu Zhongtian, his physical fitness improved some... In these eleven games, he contributed six direct assists, four goals, and five goals were inseparable from his organization planning.

Wimbledon scored a total of 35 goals in these eleven games, and he participated in fifteen of them alone, which shows how great his role is.

Eames once said before the season that Chu Zhongtian and Russell would be the core of the team because they defended and attacked one by one. In addition, the team's captain, Kevin Cooper, the current top scorer in the team, just constitutes the team's central axis. Now, it's hard to say whether Chu Zhongtian has become the core, but Russell must be the core.

The two walked out of Kings Ranch together and walked out of Jack Goodchild Lane. When they reached the entrance of the alley, they were stopped by a strange fat man.

"Alai Russell." The unfamiliar fat man looked at Russell, "Are you interested in talking to me?"

Russell is not unfamiliar with people calling him when walking like this. Since the team's performance has improved, his reputation in this area has become increasingly greater. People often hold him back and have to chat with him for a few words, ask for an autograph, take a photo, etc. So when he met this stranger today, he thought he had met fans again.

Russell nodded, stopped, and smiled to the person who thought he was the most attractive: "Of course, no problem."

The visitor glanced at Borger standing next to Russell, and then said to Russell: "That's right, Russell, my name is Paul Parker..."

"Oh my God!" Borger next to him suddenly screamed: "Are you Paul Parker?"

When Borger called out, Russell also reacted. He said that the person in front of him looked familiar, it turned out to be Paul Parker!

"I've watched your game, when you were still at Manchester United..." Borger said excitedly. "I really didn't expect to meet a legendary figure who was selected for the national team here! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you at the beginning. You looked a little fatter than when you played football..."

Borge is just a statement to the other party. The fat man in front of him is not ordinary fat. His big belly makes his whole body deformed.

"Ha, I really didn't expect that there are still young people who know me now." Paul Parker, a former England international, smiled.

Paul Parker was a well-known local right-back in the early 1990s. He debuted at West Ham United, and then played for Fulham and the Royal Garden Rangers. His most brilliant moment in his career was representing England in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and in the summer of 1991, he joined the Red Devils United coached by Ferguson, with a net worth of 2 million pounds.

After that, he was Manchester United's main right-back until he was replaced by the younger Gary Neville. He then slowly faded out of the public's horizon.

"Where are you doing things now?" Borger met a real star and was a little excited, constantly asking about topics he was interested in.

"Welling United, I'm the head coach there." Parker spread his hands.

"Wiling United?" Borger and Russell both thought the name was familiar. Weiling and the others knew that it was a small town in the fourth district of London, and what they didn't know was what level this team was.

"Now in the conferencenational."

"woow~" Borger whistled, and Russell couldn't help but be moved.

They all know what level of the National League is. It is the fifth-level league, which is four levels higher than the mixed county league where Wimbledon is. If you upgrade from this league, you will leave the "non-League" and enter the "League League" and officially enter the All-Pro League. There are two completely different worlds from here.

"We are in the middle of the game. But we hope to upgrade next season." Paul Parker talked freely. The person he was looking for was interested in this league. He could confirm this from the change in Russell's face just now.

"So, I'm here to find you, Russell. I want to ask you if you are interested in playing football at Weling United?"

When Russell heard this, his first reaction was to turn his head to look at Borger standing next to him. He found Borger was also looking at him with confusion. Then he pointed at him and asked Parker opposite him: "I?"

Parker nodded.

"Why is it me? Uh, not... sorry I'm not dissatisfied, I just feel strange... why did I choose me?" Russell was shocked and said something incoherently. He stuttered for a long time before he explained what he wanted to express clearly.

"I have observed you for a long time. You are a skilled player. My team lacks people like you." Parker spoke very simply and did not beat around the bush. He was not surprised by Russell's performance. In his opinion, the Weling United is too tempting for Russell in the ninth league. "You can organize attacks in the midfield, which is very helpful to our team."

Russell was still a little unresponsive. He didn't expect that at this time, people from other teams would come to him and claim to be interested in him.

"You have played in Wimbledon's junior and junior teams, and you're a lot better than the ninth-level league, and I think playing here is a bit of a waste of your talent."

Paul Parker is a celebrity in English football. Even Russell, who has always been proud, feels embarrassed. Bolger looked at his friends with envious eyes.

"I know this is not a decision that can be made easily. You can think about it before contacting me. This is my phone number." Parker handed the business card in his hand. Then he clapped his hands: "Then I will say goodbye first, goodbye, boys."

Before leaving, he waved to Borger, and Borger quickly returned the gift.

Only when Parker's image was around the corner of the street did the two people come to their senses.

"What's this? This is a great thing, Alai!" Borge shouted excitedly.

"Uh..." Russell was not as excited as he did. "I'm not sure..."

"Unsure? If Weiling United can be promoted, then you are a professional player! What's wrong with this?" Borger seemed happier than the client Russell.

Russell just shook his head, and he couldn't tell why he had such a reaction. Logically speaking, he should be happy. Although he is a Wimbledon fan, this does not mean that he will play here for the rest of his life. If he had not been swept out by Wimbledon's professional clubs at the beginning, he would have been promoted to Wimbledon's first team. If there were any Premier League clubs who liked him in the future, he would not have hesitated at all. After all, he is a professional player, and playing football is a profession. If a company offers higher treatment and has a more promising future, why not go?

But why can't he laugh as happily as Borger?

※※※When Russell returned home, his mother had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him.

"Brother!" When the five-year-old brother Luther saw Russell appear, he threw down the toy and rushed forward.

Russell picked up his younger brother and greeted his parents.

Mom brought the last soup to the dining table, then wiped her hands, took her youngest son from Russell's arms, and said to him: "Go and wash your hands, Alai."

After changing clothes, Russell, who had washed his hands and faces, sat down at the dining table and the family began to eat.

Except for the younger brother who was playingfully tapping the dining plate with a fork, everyone else was very quiet.

"That..." Russell suddenly raised his head, "There's something."

Dad put down the knife and fork in his hand and looked at his son.

"After training today, I met Paul Parker."

Dad frowned, obviously the name made him feel familiar.

"It's the England international who once played at Manchester United." Russell said this, and his father's face showed a "sudden enlightenment".

"He is coaching at Weling United now, and he wants me to go to that team..."

The mother who was taking care of Luther turned her head and looked at Russell.

"He said he had observed me for a long time. I was the person their team needed because I had the skills and could organize the offense. I was finished." Russell picked up the knife and fork again and continued to eat.

"What are you going to do?" Dad's somewhat cold voice rang.

"Me?" Russell shook his head, "I thought about it all the way, but I didn't know what to do."

"Do you still want to play professional football?" Dad continued to ask.

The night after Russell was removed from the Wimbledon Club, his father asked him at the same dinner table. Russell's answer was that his father had no objection, so a week later, he participated in the "retirement training" held by the "League Football Education Committee" in Griffin Park, Brentford Town, hoping to win him the opportunity to return to professional football. There, many young people who were in the same tragedy as him - they were all players in major professional football club tiers, but were fired by the original team for one reason or another. Because he was unwilling to give up the football path, he came to "retirement training" to make his last try.

Maybe he was too persistent, maybe he was too nervous, maybe he was too strange... In short, Russell messed up that time of withdrawal from training, his performance was very poor, and he was proud of his most technical advantage at all. He was replaced in advance after playing poor physical fitness.

Exhausted, he sat on the grass, tilting his head to face his father.

Dad looked expressionless and still asked him: "Do you still want to play professional football?"

This time Russell shook his head weakly: "I'll go to college..."

Before this, he had already obtained A-level scores in two subjects, and going to college was not difficult.

A month later, he appeared on the Wimbledon Art School campus, a freshman in college.

Join Wimbledon Athletics just because he likes football and loves Wimbledon's football, hoping to do something for his team he has supported since childhood. He did not think that he is going to take the path of professional football.

But now it has been nine months since he joined that team. After playing dozens of games, his mind is slowly changing.

Does he still want to continue playing professional football?
Chapter completed!