394 Keane, The Man Part 3 (1/2)

”I know what you're thinking,” Keane snickered. ”It doesn't make someone a 'man' just because of that something extra. There are countless sissies and cowards with two balls in the world but that does not make them a man. What's a real man? It's someone who always demands the most of himself. He's brave, strong, optimistic, cheerful, confident, and knows humility. He can inspire people around him and be their role model. He can make countless young kids aspire to become like him. In my opinion, Pearce is a man. He's so perfect that I cannot find any fault in him. A proud person like me was willing to obey him, listen to him, and try to be like him.”

Keane's words echoed in the bathroom.

”So, a captain must first be a man himself. If not, he must at least strive to become a man and let himself become an example to all. It's not enough to merely help others out of trouble. Anyone can compete against the opponents on the field.” Keane clenched his fist. ”But it's not a competitive and hard player who can become a captain. Do you think I became the Manchester United captain because I dared to fight others? Being a role model is not the same as being a backer of your team. The latter will only let your men be dependent on you. Cowards will still be cowards, nothing will have changed. The former can make them want to be you and let those cowards and sissies want to strive to be a man. It's useless if you're the only one who is a man. A flock of sheep led by a tiger cannot defeat an ambush of tigers led by a tiger. Do you understand what that means?”

Wood nodded.

”You're very lucky, kid, luckier than I was at your age. You do not have to transfer to a big club to get glory or money now. You have a terrific manager and a group of very good teammates. That Italian, Albertini, is a very good captain, but he will get old one day, retire, and leave you and the team. That's when you need to become the captain who will lead your players. At that point, dozens of pairs of eyes will look at you… No, tens of thousands of pairs of eyes will look at you, because you are the captain of Nottingham Forest. You will represent this team and shoulder all their expectations and responsibilities. You have to be their role model in order to be able to lead them to victory. Pressure? The person who cannot withstand that kind of pressure is not a man, nor does he deserve to be captain. For a coward, the captain's armband will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. For a real man, that's exactly what he should do.”

Due to the unique environment of the bathroom, Keane's every spoken sentence was amplified several times. It surged in Wood's eardrums and pounded in his heart.

”You don't have a goal to play football? You feel lost? You're worried you can't be a good captain? Are you tired of facing what you have to face after becoming the captain? Do you think that as long as you practice hard in your usual training to be able to tackle your opponents, that makes you a good captain? Kid…” Keane snorted. ”You're still not a man.”

With the sound of splashing water, Keane stood up from the pool.

”First, don't think about being a captain or your goal for playing. Strive to be a man first.” He stepped out of the pool and walked past Wood towards the door.

”Oh, that's right. I heard that you have a bad temper. Have you ever thought about changing that terrible impulsive temper of yours?”

Wood was startled for a moment and then shook his head.

Keane smiled. ”That's good. Don't change it. If you change yourself, you're not you anymore. But if you always get penalty cards because of your impulsive temper, your manager will still get frustrated. I want to give you a piece of advice. Care to listen?”

Wood nodded.

”I used to be a bad-tempered person. I still am. But before, I used to reflect on my mistakes after I hit someone, and now I will consider before I start.”

Keane got dressed and left the locker room. George Wood was still standing under the shower, letting the water flow over him.