202 The Old Soldiers Part 1 (1/2)

Chapter 202: The Old Soldiers Part 1

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Tang En had long forgotten about what he had said to Rebrov in December of last year, during the half-time interval of the game against Crystal Palace FC in City Ground Stadium: ”I will put your name on the list of transfer players.” After half a season of integration, Rebrov was already completely able to ensure a spot on the team. As such, Tang En had never considered fulfilling his promise.

So when he received the fax from FC Kyiv Dynamo, his initial reaction was one of shock; he had never considered selling Rebrov. The Ukrainian was one of the few experienced players on the team. Currently, young players made up the majority of Nottingham Forest. Although they were undoubtedly very talented, they lacked the most important thing: experience. The English Premier League and League One are two completely different types of leagues. Lower tier leagues were usually like ”Home Alone,” where young people had most of the power. As such, large clubs were willing to loan out their young players to League One teams as a form of training. However, in the Premier League, there were very few teams that were comprised largely of young players, as most managers dared not shoulder the responsibility of losing a match because of sending out too many young players onto the field.

There were two reasons for Tang En's purchase of so many young players. The first reason was due to his love of young players that he had gotten from playing the Football Manager game. The second reason was that he did it out of helplessness. There were really very few players which fulfilled his requirements of being experienced and still being at the peak of their professional careers.

For Nottingham Forest, although he did not have many chances to play in the second-half of the season due to his fitness and his injury, Rebrov's wealth of experience was still very helpful to the team at crucial moments.

Tang En snapped out of his daze and took another look at the name on the fax. Without hesitation, he rejected the transfer request from Kyiv Dynamo.

The next day, Rebrov went to find Tang En before training. ”Sir, Kyiv Dynamo's chairman just gave me a call.”

Tang En sighed. It turned out that the Ukrainian Football Club was prepared on both ends.

”Chairman Surkis told me that Dynamo needs me. And I believe him.”

Tang En looked at Rebrov and said, ”Then, Serhiy. What if I told you that I need you too? Would you believe me?”

Rebrov smiled. ”Of course I believe you, sir. But Kyiv Dynamo promised me a core position on the team. Sir, can I get the same promise from you, for this season's Premier League matches?”

This question struck at Tang En's core. He had indeed not considered giving Rebrov a core position. In highly-intensive matches like the Premier League's, Rebrov's ageing knees had become the biggest restricting factor for his performance. If Tang En gave a core position to an old player that might sustain frequent injuries, it would be quite irresponsible of him.

However, Tang En knew that if he told Rebrov his plans, there would be a very high probability of losing him.

After pondering for a while, Tang En finally opened his mouth and asked, ”Serhiy, if I say that I promise to give you a core position on the team, will you stay with Nottingham Forest?”

Without hesitating, Rebrov nodded his head. ”I will, sir. Being able to play under your management is my honor.”

Lying could retain a player that was useful to the team, but once he discovered that he had been lied to, his relationship with Tang En would beyond salvation.

Tang En sighed. ”I really want to lie to you, Serhiy, but I have to tell you the truth. When this season begins, you definitely won't be a core player.”

This was a reply that was within expectations. As an old professional soccer player that had played for many different clubs, Rebrov had gained a clear understanding of his future a long time ago. He nodded his head and smiled. ”Thank you, sir, for being honest with me. And even more so for your guidance during my most difficult times.”

Is this a farewell speech? Tang En thought to himself. In the past, Collymore had spent two million pounds to bring him from London to Nottingham, and now Nottingham Forest had the opportunity to sell him for three million pounds, ultimately earning them one million dollars. No matter how he looked at it, it was definitely a profitable transaction. The price also revealed how highly Kyiv Dynamo regarded Rebrov.

The player wanted to leave, and there was another team that wanted him. Nottingham Forest would lose a veteran player, but could earn one million pounds.

Tang En nodded his head. ”if you think that returning to Ukraine will be better for you, then I'll allow you to leave the team. But Serhiy, I want to remind you for the last time… The moment you return to the freezing cold of Eastern Europe, you will be saying goodbye to the mainstream European football world…”

Upon getting the manager's approval, Rebrov was in an extremely good mood. He chuckled. ”Sir, do you think that I'm still fantasizing about being able to join a powerhouse club, and winning the championships? I'm already past the age of dreaming. Now is the time for me to seriously consider how I'm going to spend the little time that I have left before I go into retirement.”

He was right, and Tang En could not say anything more. Talking about glorious ambitions and achievements at Rebrov's age was indeed not very practical.