742 Leaving the Life of Football (1/2)

After the training session and showering in the changing room, van Nistelrooy did not go to the parking lot. He knew there could be hardcore fans waiting for his signature. Instead, he went straight to the head coach's office and knocked on the door.

When training finished, the players would take a bath, change their clothes, and go home. The coaches often gathered together and went over the day's training report with Twain so he could understand the team's situation.

As he was looking at the reports, he heard a knock at the door. He thought it was Dunn. Without looking up, he said, ”The door isn't locked, just come in.”

Van Nistelrooy pushed the door and said, ”Sir.”

Twain looked up and was a little surprised. He asked, ”What's the matter, Ruud?”

van Nistelrooy nodded. ”Well, there is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I think it's better to tell it to you, sir. ”

As Twain put down his training report, van Nistelrooy asked, ”My contract with the club doesn't expire until June 30, 2012, right?”

Twain nodded and replied, ”Yes. If your performance is stable, I'm going to extend your contract for another year...”

Van Nistelrooy shook his head. ”No, sir. I have decided to retire after this season.”

Twain was startled. Sitting in his chair, he could feel his body move on its own, thinking he had misheard. ”Sorry?”

”I said, I'm going to retire after this season, sir.” Van Nistelrooy had no choice but to repeat himself.

Twain wanted to loudly ask if he misheard. Out of a mix of disappointment, anger, and shock, he abandoned the idea and stood up. ”Today isn't April Fool's Day, Ruud.” He smiled with a little reluctance.

”I'm not kidding, sir,” van Nistelrooy said.

”Your body is recovering well,” Twain said. ”I can't figure out why you'd want to resign in advance.

”It only looks good on the surface, sir,” van Nistelrooy replied.” And, retiring at 35 isn't early.”

”If your injury hasn't healed, I can continue to let you heal,” Twain said. ”I'm not in a hurry. You do not have to worry.”

van Nistelrooy laughed and said, ”That is exactly what I'm worried about, sir. I'm a professional footballer, not a guy sitting on the bench or in the stands or on the injury list drawing a salary without playing any games. I've been out for a whole season and a half. If I continue to be absent, it would be better for me to announce my retirement now.”

Twain's tone was a little harsher as he said, ”Hey, Ruud, we're allowing you to miss more than a season of games now so you can play long into the future.”

”Sir, why would a 34-year-old striker want to play longer?” van Nistelrooy asked.

The rebuttal stunned Twain. At 34, it was basically a season-by-season situation in which one you could either get injured or retire at any time. Why would anyone want to ask van Nistelrooy to play until he was 36 or 37?

”If I said I don't want you to retire and want you to keep kicking, would you believe it?” Twain asked.

van Nistelrooy smiled and didn't answer. He obviously did not believe it. It was not something a head coach would say.

Twain laughed too, treating it as a joke, before saying, ”I think your experience can aid the team.”

van Nistelrooy believed the explanation, but he shook his head as he stood in front of Tony Twain with a crooked smile under the afternoon sun.

”I'm not the only one who has experience,” he said. ”The Gypsies are good. Before moving to Nottingham Forest, I just wanted to prove to Ferguson how bad it was to let me go. I never thought we would be champions. Now, I don't want to prove anything to anyone. I've got everything I needed to. My career is perfect. To be honest, sir, I don't have the motivation to keep playing. Don't you hate people who don't have the motivation to play?”

Twain opened his mouth as if there was something he wanted to say. Before he could speak, van Nistelrooy said, ”I don't need to use honor to push myself. I don't think it's wise to stay with Nottingham Forest without a sense of honor. It's better to retire and give up the opportunity and my position to the younger players.”

”Did you make this decision because I bought Ibišević?” Twain asked.

”No. I thought it over as I was lying in my hospital bed in the United States,” van Nistelrooy said. ”Don't you think it's a way to help the club ease its financial burden?”

Twain could not smile as he looked at van Nistelrooy, who had a serious face.

”Anyway, I've decided, sir, I'm not going to play another season,” van Nistelrooy said. ”I want to spend more time with my family. You're also married, so can't you understand where I'm coming from? Whether it's football or not, the point of doing anything is all about making money. The point of making all that money is so I can spend time with my family. I felt like I've reached this last stage. ”

Although he spoke seriously, van Nistelrooy had a smile on his face. Twain knew he couldn't make him reconsider. Retiring was one of the most important decisions of a professional footballer's life. His ability to say it out meant he had thought about it for a long time. This consideration was not easily influenced by others.

He sighed, a little disheartened, before saying, ”I think I'm a failure, Rudd. Whether it's you, Demi, or David, I've tried persuading all of you, but I've never succeeded. You never let me do what I want.”

van Nistelrooy smiled and did not respond to his words. He knew that Twain had already agreed, but the stubborn man did not want to accept it so easily.

”Can I ask you what do you plan to do after you retire?” Twain asked.

”Go home back to Holland to spend time with my wife and children,” van Nistelrooy said.

Twain he suddenly had a feeling of being a landowner. He laughed and said, ”If the weather was good, would lie in the yard under the sun?”

”Maybe I'll plant some flowers, teach my children to play football, go shopping with my wife, or travel around,” van Nistelrooy replied.

Life as a retiree seemed very attractive to him. He could finally stop thinking about training, playing matches, staying in shape, and ruthlessly fighting with someone for 90 minutes, as well as the premier league's current record of the most goals and second-most goals in the Champions League history. These worries would all be gone. He would no longer have to care.

”It's an enviable life...”

Twain sighed, put away the report on the table, and walked up to van Nistelrooy. ”Let's go home.”

※※※

Twain was leaning on the Mercedes Jeep that Shania had given him as he watched van Nistelrooy drive out of Wilford. The weather was good. The Nottingham vicinity was vibrant. Although it was still hot, it was better than constant raining day and night. He suddenly wanted to bask in the blazing sun.

He never thought about what he would do after leaving football. He never considered a life not having to think about training and the next round of opponents from the moment he woke up. A day spent sunbathing and playing with the kids until the evening seemed unreal. For him, retirement seemed like something that would only happen when he was old.

The phone in his pocket rang. He got his phone out and answered the call.