250 Wood’s Struggle Part 1 (2/2)

”What did your mum say?”

”She said… I played well.”

Tang En's mouth lifted into a smile. Sophia would never question her son's ability or say anything bad about him.

”See? there's still someone who would praise you. What are you worrying about?”

”Mum, she…”

”Are you going to say that you think your mum is lying to you?” Tang En said, taking the words out of Wood's mouth.

Wood started and then shook his head. ”No.”

Tang En opened his eyes with a smile. ”George, how long have you been playing soccer? Do you know how long that Argentine guy has been playing? Your mum wasn't lying to you when she said you did well. She knows you better than those moronic reporters. Your performance in the match was normal. We didn't lose because you performed badly. We lost because Riquelme, number ten, was truly amazing. It's that simple.” Tang En ended with a shrug and wave of his hands.

Wood looked at Tang En without a word, and Tang En understood what he wanted to say. He nodded. ”Yes, don't think of this in such a complicated way. There are more than a hundred thousand, even a million, professional football players. Out of those, some are stronger and some are weaker. Some used to be strong and are now weak, and there are some who are now weak but will become strong. Riquelme is strong now, while you're weak-”

”I don't accept that,” Wood suddenly said, interrupting Tang En's rambling.

Tang En was not at all unhappy about being interrupted. He asked Wood, ”What did you just say? I couldn't quite hear you.”

”I said…” Wood ground out, ”even if he is better than I am, I'm not willing to lose to him.”

Tang En cracked a grin and laughed soundlessly. Wood really was a person he valued highly. His temper and character were so much like he had used to be.

”I understand. I completely understand what you're thinking. But if you're unwilling to lose to him, it's useless to sit here stewing. George, do you still remember the first time I went to see your match at the Youth Team?”

Wood nodded. That day, he had broken Eastwood's leg in a sliding tackle; he could not possibly have performed any worse. He had thought that it was the end of his professional career as a footballer. However, after a session of beratement in the locker room from the man before him now, he had persisted and eventually won a contract with the First Team through his hard work.

”Your performance in that match was… too terrible to even watch.” Tang En recalled with a shake of his head. ”At that time, you had systematically been training for only a little more than two months. On the field, you had no idea what to do. You looked like an idiot.”

Tang En lowered his volume so he would not disrupt the rest, saying, ”And then… the FA Youth Cup with Arsenal's Youth Team. You remember, don't you?”

Wood continued to nod.

”You successfully defended against the core of the opponent's midfield, rendering him completely at your mercy. That lad that you marked and pushed back again and again, do you know what kind of background he came from?”

Wood shook his head this time.

”Half a year before that, he had just become the Champion of the FIFA U-16 World Championship and was the recipient of the Golden Ball award. In other words, he was the best player in the world within his age group. But with you marking him, he had no opportunities at all.”

Faced with Tang En's praise, there seemed to be no change to Wood's expression.

”Later, when you were given a chance to represent Forest's First Team in a match… Remember that match? I can still remember your debut. It was flawless.”

Tang En closed his eyes as he reveled in it. He was not exaggerating. Compared to when he had first witnessed Wood's claim to fame, he was not as excited when Ribéry had attained success during the EFL Cup. That was because Tang En had known for certain that Ribéry would succeed. Even if it was not on the Forest team, Ribéry would still go to Olympique de Marseille a year later. In two years, he would become the most outstanding player in the France Ligue 1. Thereafter, he would be brought to the German World Cup by Raymond Domenech and shoot to fame overnight.

It was as if he was watching a suspenseful movie; while others were watching with relish, Tang En himself already knew the ending and felt somewhat bored.

George Wood was different. Tang En had never heard his name before, and the international football scene did not have him. From when he had softened and allowed Wood to enter the Youth Team for training, he had no idea whether the boy could eventually carve out a career successfully. And precisely because of the uncertainty in his future, it created suspense. When Tang En saw the brilliance of George Wood in Forest's match against Reading F.C., a surge of accomplishment suddenly filled his heart. It was almost comparable to the moment when he had lifted the EFL Cup.

Without relying on and taking advantage of his pre-transmigration knowledge, this was a player who had come from true nurturement. In some ways, George Wood's success represented Tang En's success.