278 Agent Part 1 (2/2)

”No, no. That won't do,” he said. ”It's not enough for a professional player to just play soccer. You still need to do many other things. I don't mind if you become a big star, if you choose to represent any number of international brands, or if you can earn even more money in a year. That is all what you deserve.”

”Isn't the duty of a professional footballer to play football?” Wood asked.

”Of course; their job is to play football, but that's only one part of it. You're a star now, George. You can't just play soccer… let's put it this way, when do you think you can play soccer until?”

Wood thought about it and shook his head. ”I don't know.”

”Okay. In general, it's normal for a player to play until they are 34 before retiring. But I think you can kick till you're 40.” Tang En laughed. If Matthäus could do it, surely George Wood was not that far off?

”If you only think about playing soccer before your retirement at 40 and care about nothing else, the money you could earn would be limited. And what about your retirement after that? What will you be living on? Your mother has no source of income, and at that point, you'll have to provide for your wife and children… Do you understand what I'm saying?”

Wood understood. Tony was telling him that once he retired, he would not have any source of income. Just depending on his savings from playing soccer these years, he not only had to provide for his mother, but he was also likely to have his own family by that time… In that case, how could he guarantee the comfort of his family?

”So, you should still consider getting a trustworthy manager and employing him to help you manage your finances and earn more money. That way, you won't have to worry about all those problems even after you retire.” Tang En said, revealing his aim for their talk.

Wood nodded upon hearing his words. ”I'll think about it.”

Tang En clapped his hands in satisfaction. ”Go on home, don't let your mum wait for too long.”

As he watched Wood walk away, Tang En breathed a sigh of relief. What was now left was to see the kind of agent Wood would find in the end… hopefully, the situation would not be too terrible.

※※※

The condominium that Wood and his mother, Sophia, currently resided in was located just North of the Wilford Training Grounds. Wood only needed 20 minutes to return home from the training area, but he would rarely walk. He usually ran like a warm-up before a match, jogging throughout.

When he arrived at the front door of his house today, he found someone standing there. The door was opened, and his mother stood outside discussing something with the man. She waved to Wood in a hurry when he appeared. The man also turned to look over.

It was someone dressed meticulously. He seemed familiar. The man hastily greeted Wood when he saw him. ”Hello, Wood.”

Immediately after hearing his voice, Wood recalled the man in question. This was the enthusiastic agent for artists that he had met when he accompanied his mother out to shop. Was he looking for Wood to join the entertainment circle again?

”I'm not interested in the entertainment industry.”

Before the man even said a thing, he shook his head in rejection.

Unexpectedly, the man did not seem disappointed to hear the refusal from Wood. Instead, he smiled in response and said, ”I think you're mistaken. First, allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Billy Woox, a professional football agent. I have just received certification from The English Football Association Committee. I'm not here today to ask you to join the entertainment circle. Rather, I hope to become your football agent and your legal representative in managing your contracts and business matters.”

Wood was stumped for a moment upon hearing him speak. He'd had a change of identity?

After his self-introduction, Billy Woox turned to smile at Sophia. ”Madam, could we discuss more in the house? As you know, it's winter now and the weather outside is truly…”

Sophia did not immediately answer but looked to her son. All the other agents had contacted him via phone. This one had come knocking on the door personally; perhaps he should speak to him. He nodded.

”Please enter, Mr. Woox.” Sophia opened the door to let them both in.

When Billy Woox, the gentleman-like man, stepped into the house, he covertly but thoroughly examined its décor. While being extremely simple, it was not crude. Other than the daily necessities, there were few decorations or luxury goods. Before coming, he had specially analyzed Wood's income at Forest team. 2,500 pounds per week and that was before taxes. That salary could not be considered high at all…

Even though Forest Team took responsibility for the treatment of Wood's mother, and they had no need to spend his salary on surgeries, the female owner of this house was clearly used to their days in poverty and was very thrifty.

After understanding the situation, Woox knew in his heart what he needed to say.