Romantic on the Field

29.

Pietro Mutombo has joined Stoke City.

It wasn’t officially enlisted. This is because the transfer market is still open.

“I will participate in team training from today. It’s not a transfer period yet, but it came in the form of an entrance test, but in fact, it’s no different from an official joining, so I hope everyone helps me to adapt well.”

As Coach Nick explained, Mutombo joined the team in the form of a trial before the official transfer period.

Jamie was satisfied with this fact.

Tryouts can participate in training, but cannot play in matches.

In other words, it was said that you could match your breath in advance before the transfer period and raise your senses.

Until then, it seemed like the timing would be perfect if we trained together, coordinated, and regained our senses.

“Mutombo, would you like to introduce yourself?”

Coach Nick asked cautiously.

He hadn’t seen him in a long time, but so far he had seen Mutombo speak very little. Moreover, since it was his first time on a professional team, he was considerate in his own way.

“It needs no introduction. Mutombo speaks in football.”

“…”

Even though Mutombo’s reply put that consideration to shame.

“Ha ha ha! This guy is totally my style!”

Director Charlie, who was watching from the side, suddenly burst into laughter.

“great. If you’re a soccer player, you should be, cancer.”

Thanks to that smile, the awkward atmosphere was relieved.

“Let’s make friends at the stadium and start training soon.”

Afterwards, as Mutombo wished, the training started right away without any welcome greetings or events.

‘I should have adapted well…’

Jamie glanced at Mutombo warming up.

Jamie was the start.

Thanks to his almost coercion, Mutombo was recruited.

‘I met a lot later, so can I do well?’

That’s why I was feeling a certain amount of responsibility, and I kept glancing at Mutombo with a worried look.

“Are you from the sixth division?”

“No, was it a person before then?”

The full-scale training began, and I realized that it was a pointless worry.

Today is strength training, jump training, and team tactical training.

Mutombo showed overwhelming skills in strength training and jump training.

“Wow, there’s a difference between Robin and two heads.”

“Hey, I’ll listen.”

“Isn’t our team ace also changing?”

“I’ll listen, you idiot.”

The Stoke players responded with genuine admiration.

‘The team atmosphere is good.’

Hearing their gossip, Jamie smiled inside.

Perhaps because of Stoke City’s team color, which is a men’s team, there were no boundaries or checks on transfer students.

‘Wait, I don’t think it was like this when I came?’

Even though I immediately had that thought, I decided to just think positively.

“Okay, next is the breakthrough and one-on-one defense drill. You zigzag and block them one by one. From the attacking point of view, one person pierces through. Everyone does it every week, you know?”

“Yep.”

“The order of attack is… yes. Let’s just go the same as last week.”

To put it simply, it’s a drill in which one person breaks through three defenders in a row.

“Then the last one is Jamie?”

“Can we change the order? I don’t want to be in a bad mood at the end after training well.”

Several players in charge of defense expressed dissatisfaction.

“Shall we change the order?”

“uh? really?”

However, when coach Charlie showed a positive response, the players were rather embarrassed.

“yes. Originally, the number 1 defender was Eric, right? I’ll change it to Mutombo, which came in this time.

“…”

The players alternately looked at Jamie and Mutombo with ambiguous expressions.

Beep-beep.

“Jack, start.”

Moments later, the first runners were on the track.

Jack Stevens. Along with Harry, he was a regular midfielder for Stoke City.

As a built-in starter, he showed confidence.

“Can it be because the 3rd division leaguer can’t break through the 6th division leaguer?”

At his confident, even rude remarks, some players shed a smile of sympathy and some players wrinkled their faces.

Tok, tok. Either way, Jack began to dribble boldly. Then, as he got closer to Mutombo, he momentarily sped up his hook.

“Oops!”

As a result, 1 was eliminated.

“Jack, fail.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

“That stupid bastard. hahahahaha.”

After losing the ball to Mutombo’s thick legs that stretched out calmly, he fell into an awkward situation.

The second runner is Ralph. The third runner is Troy.

Both Ralph and Troy were not very different from Jack.

“ha ha ha. What is it, you guys right?”

“You can’t penetrate it at all!”

Beyond the conciseness of Mutombo, I was helpless at the seemingly indifferent defense.

The next one, and the players after that, too.

He laughed at the other players’ failures, but when it was his turn, he couldn’t show proper play and was blocked in vain.

“Five! Robin! Show me the power of old age!”

“run!”

However, Robin was different.

“Robin, failure.”

To be precise, the result was the same, but the attitude was different.

“Damn it!”

Unlike the previous players, who smiled even after failing, Robin slammed the floor with his palm as if he was genuinely resentful.

“Certainly the striker is different.”

Manager Charlie smiled and said, apparently liking Robin’s fighting spirit.

“Yes. Well, the mental part was originally a good player.”

Coach Nick, who was standing next to him, replied.

“Are there two left?”

“Yes. It’s going to be fun now.”

Then, he expressed his anticipation for the remaining two.

“Oh, this time it’s really worth watching.”

“The condition seems to have returned.”

The next runner got on the track, receiving the expectations of his colleagues.

‘Five.’

Same goes for Jamie. He looked at his former runner with interest.

It was Brian, who missed until Exeter City due to a toe injury.

“Brian, are you okay?”

“I don’t have any problem. ha ha ha.”

To Coach Nick’s question, Brian immediately responded with a smile.

However, unlike usual, when he was just bright, his face was flowing with something similar to spleen.

Beep-big.

The whistle blew to announce the start of training again, and Brian did not attempt to break through immediately and carefully stepped.

Hu-wook. Then, suddenly, he pretended to increase his speed, but when he got close to Mutombo, he slowed down significantly and turned his back to Mutombo. And after painting the upper body, he turned the ball to the other side using the soles of his feet.

It was a variation of a technique called a Cruyff turn or Cruyff spin.

‘High.’

In that brief moment, Jamie had a premonition of failure.

Maybe it was because I was too nervous, or because I was forced to take a series of movements, the stepping foot was too high. Because of that, the foot that casts the turn had no choice but to touch only the upper part of the ball weakly.

oh-oh

Mutombo did not miss this.

Unlike before, when he simply stretched his legs, he kicked the ball with all his might.

“······uh?”

obvious humiliation.

“…”

As a result, the heated atmosphere at the training ground instantly became quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

“···hahahaha. You seem overworked.”

“ha ha ha. Not even Jamie, but Cruyff Turn.”

“right. Brian, your strong point is your kick.”

Fortunately, the atmosphere was quickly restored as Brian, the person involved, laughed awkwardly.

“…but that rice cake is not a joke for a freshman.”

“Is there a big difference in level?”

“Yeah. It’s almost like watching a high school student versus an elementary school student.”

“I can hear you, please.”

While the training ground was being reorganized ahead of the final runners, the players looked at Mutombo and whispered.

“Who’s next?”

“Isn’t it Lee?”

Soon the reorganization was over, and Jamie was finally on the track.

“…”

Then the surroundings became quiet again.

Unlike before, there was no player shouting and cheering.

It wasn’t because they looked down on Jamie or kept him in check.

‘Can I do it?’

‘I think Lee can pierce it.’

‘Even that freshman isn’t easy.’

‘I don’t think even Jamie would be able to do it.’

It was because everyone was busy predicting the outcome.

Beep-big.

Coach Nick blew the whistle, and Jamie started.

With a calm expression, as if going for a walk in the neighborhood.

‘Mutombo isn’t just big.’

Instead, unlike his calm expression, his mind was busy.

‘Contrary to his appearance, he is quite agile and has high soccer intelligence. It’s hard to break through with a clumsy method.’

There must be quite a difference between the Mutombo he met in his previous life and the Mutombo he saw now, but Jamie decided to treat him based on his old memories.

‘Then, I have to catch myself off guard.’

After thinking, Jamie moved on towards Mutombo.

Then, after launching the ball with his big toe, he threw the ball over Mutombo’s head with a ‘knock’.

‘uh?’

The spectators, as well as Mutombo, the person in charge, were momentarily taken aback and had no choice but to stare blankly at the ball.

It was almost impossible to predict that he would surpass Mutombo’s height of nearly two meters.

“Pass Jamie!”

Coach Nick blew the whistle and announced the end of training.

“Wow.”

“Certainly Lee is different.”

“Why is a guy like that on our team?”

The players who watched the confrontation between the two silently spoke about their impressions belatedly.

“Guys, go home and write your impressions in your diary. I went to the next training…”

As Coach Nick scolded the onlookers, Mutombo stood up and approached Jamie with an expressionless face.

“Next, go to training, go go…”

A giant almost 2 meters tall walks towards someone with an expressionless face.

Coach Nick, as well as everyone present, were in a tense situation.

“lee.”

Of course, the misfortune they were worried about didn’t happen. Mutombo held out his pot lid-like hand to Jamie for a handshake.

“Mutombo is lost. It was a great skill.”

Whiyu. A few breathed a sigh of relief.

“You lost your way?”

Jamie smiled and took his hand.

“I will help you find your way.”

**

The transfer market opened.

[Why did you choose Stoke City? ]

[ Jamie Lee, and the supporters who made Mutombo feel good. ]

Finally, Mutombo officially joined the team.

[Surrounded by inquiries about Jamie Lee, the ‘trend’ at the same time as the winter transfer market opens]

[Stoke City coach Charlie Adam “I get tired of talking every time. Lee’s will is the most important.” ]

At the same time, inquiries from top league teams began pouring in on Jamie.

[Jamie Lee “I am tired too. Give me two million pounds and I’ll think about it. ]

Of course, Jamie rejected all those offers with a single stroke.

It was possible because coach Charlie, and furthermore, Chairman Choi Jang-soo, the owner of Stoke City, supported him.

“lee! Are you really not going?”

“If you go, I will set the Bet 777 Stadium on fire!”

Adding to this, the somewhat extreme dissuade from Stoke City fans.

“lee! But why didn’t you come to the last game?”

“It’s the first time I haven’t played two games in a row.”

“right! Aren’t you trying to transfer?”

Some fans were beyond complacent and genuinely anxious, as Jamie had missed both recent league games.

It is very common in soccer for a player who is about to transfer to miss.

It could be said that it was natural for the fans to be anxious.

“lee! answer me! Otherwise, I won’t get out of the way!”

On the way to the training ground, a fan who was getting an autograph from Jamie threw a serious joke.

“Can I curse?”

Jamie whispered to Hannah in the passenger seat.

“no.”

Of course, Hannah responded firmly, and Jamie sighed and answered the question by handing out an autograph to the fan.

“Think carefully. What game is our next game?”

“What game… ah!”

At Jamie’s words, the fan slapped his forehead as if he had finally realized his intention.

“Please pass it on to the restless friends over there. got it?”

“Oh, uh! Got it, Lee! Thanks for the autograph!”

Pan ran to the back as if to carry out Jamie’s words immediately. Seeing this, Jamie burst out laughing.

“Can I really win?”

“yes?”

After signing autographs for other fans, I was about to start the car again, but Hanna muttered next to me.

“Honey, I don’t want to make you anxious, but it’s because the other person is the other person…”

“hahahaha.”

Jamie laughed again, and touched Hannah’s cheek with her free hand.

“What about the opponent? Not Manchester City or Liverpool.”

“still······.”

Jamie shook his head.

“I don’t know if it was at the beginning of the season, but I can win enough now.”

Read from noble mtl dot com

League Cup Round 5, before the quarterfinals. Opponent: Brighton & Hove Albion FC.

Through the 2020s and into the 2030s, it was a team that always maintained a mid-table position in the Premier League.

EFL League One side Stoke were not an opponent to dare to beat, but Jamie thought it was worth doing.

“lee. late.”

After a while, Jamie arrived at the training ground and looked at the source he thought was worth doing.

“You came too early, Mutombo.”

It wasn’t Manchester City or Liverpool, it was Brighton. enough to win

It’s not the defense that put on a ‘horror show’ at the beginning of the season, but the best defender who will stand out later in the Premier League.