The Road to a Football God

August 14, Aix, southern France.

At 7:10 in the evening, there were only 20 minutes left before Cardiff City played against Sheffield United at home.

In an old residential building, a family of five prepared cold beer, rich snacks and canapes, and waited expectantly.

"How long will it take to start?"

A middle-aged woman was busy serving dishes, her face was a little tired, but it did not affect her spirits at all, "I heard from the people in the supermarket that he can play in the English Championship at the age of 17, which is considered a genius."

"Genius?"

The middle-aged man sitting on the sofa was full of spring, and hummed proudly, "Playing in the professional league for the first time, starting, far from being summed up by a word genius, our nephew is a wizard!"

"Clemont! Clemont!"

The third child in the family, Ava, ran out from the inner room, shouting her father's name, aggrieved and anxious, with red eyes and soft voice, saying: "My brother gave me pizza, and my sister ate two pieces!"

"Call dad."

Clemont had a serious face, and then changed his expression after he finished speaking, and picked him up and put him on his lap lovingly, "Such a big pizza, you can't finish it by yourself."

"Then why didn't she let her brother buy her, and eat mine." Ava wiped her tears with one hand and said naively.

The eldest sister and the second brother came out together at this time. The former rolled his eyes slightly, "I only ate two pieces. I'll buy you another one another day."

The family was noisy and noisy, but it added a bit of lively atmosphere to the cabin. It was not bad. This is what a big family is like.

"Can Maher really get 2,500 pounds a week now?"

The eldest sister sat on the sofa and thought of the 3,000 pounds that Maher sent back some time ago while looking at the pizza. "Isn't this much more than what you and mom earn together?"

"We are just ordinary people."

Clemont smiled. At this time, he didn't care about his own face. He only knew to praise his nephew: "After Maher played today, he can be regarded as a little star. This 2,500 pounds weekly salary will increase."

He glanced at his wife, with gratitude for insisting on letting Maher play football, as well as complaints and fear.

They almost killed their nephew's talent.

The wife turned her head and said nothing. As time passed, she had long forgotten her previous hesitation and struggle.

"Brother! Brother!"

Suddenly, the youngest daughter Ava pointed at the TV with wide eyes, clapped her hands and jumped, "Look, brother is out!"

The whole family looked at the screen and saw a close-up of Maher's face. He was very serious and seemed to be in the player's tunnel.

"Maher! A product of Arsenal's youth training! Today is destined to be a day he will remember!

"Kevin gave this young player enough trust in this game, making him one of the few players who started in his debut! "The commentator's voice-over sounded, pulling them into the exciting and tense atmosphere of the game.

It must be said that this is an extremely mysterious feeling.

The person who was once ordinary and even a little taciturn, when they met again, they were already on TV, and their identity also ushered in a big change.

"Ah..." Eva opened her mouth wide and shouted with a smile.

Others couldn't show anything unscrupulously, but judging from their occasional trembling bodies due to excitement, their emotions were the same as Eva's.

......

Arsenal U17 dormitory at Kearney training base.

Accompanied by the sound of several doors opening, all those who got the news rushed out almost immediately and rushed to the youth team meeting room.

"Don't lie in the dormitory! Come out!"

"In the second round of the English Championship, our former trial... old teammate! Maher got the chance to start!"

"Go to the meeting room quickly! Coach Hans is waiting for us there! "

Some people who were kind-hearted did not forget to share this joy with their teammates at this time, knocking on the doors one by one and calling those who did not pay attention to the mobile phone messages, "No lie, check if there is any message from Coach Hans on your mobile phone."

There was another crackling sound, as if many people jumped off the bed in the room and put on their shoes in a panic.

Soon, more than ten people ran out of the dormitory building together and rushed towards the direction of the youth team meeting room, as if they were in a 100-meter race.

Some people did not forget to express their shock to the same group on the way there, "I really didn't expect that they would really get a chance."

"Yeah, and who would have thought that Maher would get the first start?"

"Let's go! We can't catch up, the game is at 7:30!"

"Is Gilbert selected for the big list?"

"Selected, selected, why bother so much, if you go too late, you won't even see Maher's appearance! "

Some people walked slowly with mixed feelings, their eyes were full of envy, jealousy, or disbelief, just like before.

Maher's speed of advancement exceeded their cognition again and again, making them feel torn at all times, always thinking that he was still the trial player in their impression.

If the advancement was slow, and these people were given the opportunity to react and accept, they would not have been like this all the time.

Not long after, the first person to arrive at the meeting room saw Coach Hans wandering back and forth with his hands behind his back. He looked anxious and surprised, and could no longer sit down.

"Sorry, I got the news late."

Hans waved to the players, then slapped the back of his right hand on the palm of his left hand, and his words were incoherent: "Mainly I...I didn't expect that Maher...Maher would start directly in this game."

It's not that he stuttered, it was a kind of aphasia under excitement, "I didn't see the two of them in the last game against the English Parliament, I thought...they had completely become marginalized in the club. "

The players shook their heads and waved their hands to indicate that everything was fine. They walked to their seats in the conference room and sat down, looking up at the big screen.

There, the live broadcast of the game of their U17 team's 'outstanding graduate' Maher was playing.

The logo in the upper left corner clearly stated that this was the English Champions League!

......

Cardiff City Stadium, player tunnel.

A 'wheezing' panting sound was heard, and Maher was constantly adjusting his breathing, trying to make himself more focused and calm.

He was holding a small ball boy in his right hand, and a group of tall and strong Championship players stood beside him. They were about to walk out of the stadium and embark on the road to the professional arena.

"Beep! "

The referee's whistle sounded, and the three referees in front of the players led the front row of players to the stadium.

Maher numbly followed the Sheffield players in front of him, his heart pounding non-stop, even his hearing was a little damaged, and he only felt a noisy sound in his ears.

He walked through the dark player's tunnel corridor, step by step towards the bright stadium, towards the place he had been looking forward to for a long time.

"Oh...! ! ! "

The moment he walked out of the stadium, the sound in his ears finally became clear, and the eyes became bright, that was the roar of the fans and the spotlight.

Looking around, the stadium that can accommodate more than 30,000 people was full, with a sea of ​​people, and the dancing arms turned the stands into a sea of ​​joy. This is a feast of bliss for football people.

He stepped onto the stadium with some unconscious legs, completed the debut ceremony in a daze, and stood in his position.

"Come on! Come on! ! ! "There was a shout from the bench. It was Gilbert in a vest waving at him.

Maher calmed down a bit. He knew that there must be a lot of people he cared about watching him at this moment. He couldn't lose face on the court.

"Hu..."

Take a deep breath and hear the fans on the sidelines start the countdown.

"Ten...seven...three...two...one! !"

When the countdown ended, the referee standing on the extension line of the center circle raised his right hand and blew the whistle to start the game, "Beep! !"

The second round of the English Championship officially began!