As Matt Dawn said, although Leeds is the third largest city in the UK, its size cannot be compared with Chinese cities. From the perspective of Hu Lai, a Chinese, the city of Leeds is really not big.
So it didn't take too long for the commercial vehicle they took to get from the hotel to the training base next to Leeds City's home ground, which is also where the club's headquarters is located.
Then, witnessed by many media from both China and the UK, he was greeted by club chairman Ug Hodge, club general manager Eric Duffy, athletics director Nevin Ball, and commercial director Harry Blade.
Leeds received a warm welcome from almost all senior management of Leeds City Club, including head coach Tony Clark.
"Is the standard so high?" After introducing each other, Hu Lai was still a little confused. He quietly asked Yong Jun, his manager who had been accompanying him.
Yong Jun smiled and said: "Because of your joining, Leeds City suddenly became very popular in China from an unknown small team. The huge amount of attention made them aware of the business opportunities - in fact, before we set off, there were already some Chinese teams
Businesses have expressed interest in sponsoring Leeds City..."
After listening to Uncle Yong's explanation, Hu Lai suddenly realized: "I'm sorry, I've become Leeds City's 'God of Wealth'?"
Yong Jun lowered his head to hide the increasingly exaggerated smile on his face, so as not to surprise the other party: "At your age, you're pretty much a 'wealth-giving boy'."
Everyone welcomed Hu Lai's arrival, but Tony Clark was the most enthusiastic of all - when Hu Lai stretched out his hand to shake his hand, he directly grabbed Hu Lai's hand.
He pulled him into his arms and gave him a warm bear hug.
"You're finally here!"
That tone made Hu Lai feel that the head coach was going to say next: "I miss you so much!"
Fortunately, it didn't, otherwise Hu Lai would have doubted whether the head coach should be named Tony von Clark.
After letting reporters take photos at the door and exchanging brief greetings, Hu Lai followed into the main building of the training base. The group went straight to the fourth floor and came to a place that looked like it was specially used for posing for photos:
On the blue background wall is a huge Leeds City team emblem, and directly below the team emblem is a large solid wood table. The tabletop is shiny and shiny, and I don’t know how many people have touched it, and it feels like it is soaked.
There were two chairs behind the table, and there was an empty space in front of it. It was empty and empty. It wasn't until the media reporters who followed filled it up that Hu Lai knew its purpose - it was obviously used to watch the ceremony.
The reporters focused their cameras on the table. The machine had been set up, and everyone looked at the table expectantly.
There is a contract on it.
Hulay sat in front of the camera with club president Jug Hodge, who handed him a pen.
Yong Jun reminded Hu Lai from outside the camera: "Don't sign for real, just put the pen on it to make a show. This is mainly for reporters to take pictures."
The real contract has already been signed, and this scene is just a "show" for the media and the public.
Hu Lai naturally understood. He put the pen on the signature position without dropping it. Then he and Yog Hodge raised their heads and smiled toothily at the many cameras.
In the flash and the sound of the shutter, they left a photo that is of extraordinary significance to Chinese football.
After a lapse of fourteen years, another male football player in Chinese football finally went abroad and started his adventure in a foreign country.
Everyone hopes that this is also the prelude to Chinese football going overseas...
Every Chinese reporter present, while pressing the shutter to record this scene, was looking forward to it in their hearts - in the future, if more Chinese players can appear in European competitions, there will be so many that we media reporters will become accustomed to it and report it.
As a matter of routine...that would be great!
Just like Japan and South Korea now.
I think back then, Japanese players had to rely on their companies to spend money to force players into European clubs in order to achieve overseas study.
At that time, the Chinese media often laughed at people, saying that European clubs only liked the Japanese because they were "stupid and rich" and would not give Japanese players a chance. They would sit on the bench and spend their money in vain...
The results of it?
The first and second Japanese players did rely on this kind of corporate sponsorship to go abroad and land in Europe.
But the next Japanese players do not need to be spent by Japanese companies to send them out. With the outstanding performance and good reputation of the Japanese players who left first, more European clubs are keen to tap talents from Japan.
At the beginning, I still bought famous players, and later I even signed young players. As long as they showed high enough talent, I would sign them directly. Even if such players have not proven themselves in the first team... this is the brand effect. In
In European football, Japanese players have formed a brand with a good reputation, so that European clubs do not have to hesitate too much and are willing to bet on the future of those young Japanese players.
There are now as many as 50 Japanese players studying abroad in Europe, and there are still two national team lineups of 23 players left.
Among China's young players, only Hu Lai has emerged, and he went to a Premier League relegation team. Even so, it was enough to excite the Chinese media and fans.
The gap between the two sides is almost light years.
Not to mention South Korea. Although the number of overseas players is not as good as that of Japan, the quality is high.
Park Soon-tae's title of "Light of Asia" was not coined by their own media, but is recognized by all of Asia. No matter how bitter it is, it must be recognized.
That's why the Chinese media has so many expectations for Hu Lai's study abroad. They sincerely hope that what they are witnessing here today is not the end of a period of history, but the beginning. It is not the occasional spark that appears in the darkness, but the beginning before dawn.
That ray of dawn.
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Wang Haoxi and his two roommates Song Xinghe and Pei Yu got their wish and stood in the front row. Now they are sitting in the south stand of the Flanders Stadium, Leeds City's home stadium, waiting for Hu Lai to come out and interact with them.
While they were waiting, they hung the five-star red flag on the railing of the stadium stands.
But they were not the only ones who brought the national flag. In addition to the three of them, there were many other figures with yellow skin and black hair like them. They all looked quite young. They were all Chinese students studying at university in Leeds.
There are many universities in Leeds, among which the University of Leeds is the most famous and attracts many overseas students.
Nearly half of the city's population are college students.
Many people from China also choose to study in Leeds.
Before Hu Lai came to this city, Chinese students may have had the impression of Leeds as a small city, rich nightlife, good environment, etc.
But now, for many Chinese students studying abroad, this city has a different meaning in their hearts.
Chinese students studying in Leeds will suddenly become the most envied group of all Chinese students in the UK... no, even in the entire Europe.
Because they have the opportunity to have close contact with Hu Lai, the promising star of Chinese football, they do not need to spend flights, accommodation fees and time to come here from far away Europe. They only need to take a bus and spend 20 yuan from the city center.
In minutes you can go to the Flanders Stadium to watch a Hulay match.
This third largest city in the UK, which was not prominent among many study abroad destinations in Europe, has now become popular.
This is a major benefit for Chinese students studying in Leeds.
So there are so many Chinese students here today, and they are all as happy as the Chinese New Year.
Even before the Hu Lai people came out, they were already singing and dancing impatiently in the stands.
But Wang Haoxi glanced at the more than 200 people in the South Stand and frowned: "There are not many local Leeds fans..."
There were so many Chinese fans at the scene that people thought Leeds City was a Chinese team.
Song Xinghe pouted: "Obviously, Leeds City fans don't think highly of Hu Lai."
The news of Hulay's transfer to Leeds City has been announced for a long time, and Leeds City fans naturally have their own opinions on such a signing. Based on the discussions on the Internet and in fan bars, basically most Leeds fans do not like this signing.
cold.
There are several reasons for this.
On the one hand, it is due to the arrogance of fans from established football powers and their lack of understanding of the level of Chinese football thousands of miles away. After all, they have never seen Chinese players on the court before. Who knows what the level of Chinese players is?
What is the difference between paying 12 million pounds to buy such a player and scratching a lottery ticket? What if a "Thank you for participating" comes out?
What? You mean the Olympics?
Ha, as far as the level of Olympic football is concerned... can it be compared to the Premier League?
The other aspect is related to the current team's head coach Tony Clark. After signing Hu Lai, Tony Clark publicly stated in an interview that he started observing Hu Lai two years ago and was very optimistic about Hu Lai's talent.
He was the one who named the club to sign.
Tony Clark's statement may make Chinese fans happy, because it means that at least there will be no bloody drama like the head coach not liking Hu Lai.
It shows that Hu Lai is Tony Clark's man.
But what the Chinese fans don't know is that in the hearts of Leeds City fans, such a statement is a good thing.
Leeds City fans don't like Tony Clark very much as coach right now.
Because Tony Clark succeeded the team's legendary coach Lauren Galli.
Leeds City fans are still resentful of the club's ruthless dismissal of Lauren Galli, so how can they have a good attitude towards Tony Clark as his successor?
It can be said that Hu Lai's unpopularity among Leeds City fans is due to Tony Clark's involvement, and Tony Clark's unpopularity among Leeds City fans is due to the management of Leeds City Club...
This guy has just arrived and hasn't even kicked a ball yet, and his reputation among Leeds City fans has turned cold, which is completely unreasonable.
But what can be done?
Leeds City fans are also aggrieved - Lauren Galli has done a great job. He has been coaching for 13 years and brought Leeds City from a League One team to a Premier League team. Such an amazing feat? Name him.
It makes perfect sense to put it on the roof of the Flanders Stadium stands.
What was the result? Because he was at odds with the club management, he resigned angrily. Your club didn’t even try to persuade him to stay and just agreed!
Do you have any management that does this?
Is this the proper attitude towards Leeds City’s meritorious head coach?
Do you still care about our Leeds City football tradition?
Well, if you want to change the coach, you can find someone better than Lauren Galli. What happened to Tony Clark, a loser at Hammond Castle in the English Championship?
What ability does he have?
Oh, he once led a team that beat us in the Championship...
But in the end it was us Leeds City who went to the Premier League, not Hammond Castle!
Besides, before he took office, Lauren Galley led Leeds City to successfully avoid relegation in the Premier League. After Tony Clark took over, our team was still fighting for relegation, and we still don’t know whether it will succeed in the end... This coaching change is a change.
What happened?
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Wang Haoxi's frustrated mood did not last long. When he saw Hu Lai appearing on the turf of Flanders Stadium, accompanied by head coach Tony Clark and club chairman Jug Hodge, he waved his arms vigorously and blew.
Whistle and shout: "Hulai!!"
All the Chinese students in the stands were cheering, and the atmosphere was fully guaranteed, with no silence.
Yog Hodge is also very satisfied with this.
Are all the Chinese fans present?
That’s no big deal!
Since all the local Leeds fans are coming, he will probably have to worry... Will the distinguished guests from China come from afar to see our fans wildly booing Hu Lai?
Do you still want to sign the sponsorship contracts you are negotiating?
In order to make the Chinese guests feel at home, he specially arranged for people to dress up as panda dolls and run onto the court to interact with Hu Lai amidst the cheers of the fans.
It fully reflects the importance he attaches to this Chinese player and the Chinese market.
The naive "Giant Panda" challenged Hu Lai to compete with him, but how could the clumsy "Giant Panda" be Hu Lai's opponent? Naturally, he was defeated.
This unique fan meeting ceremony made the Chinese reporters in the audience and the Chinese students in the stands laugh continuously.
The effect is immediate.
Yog Hodge saw this scene from the side and smiled happily. He seemed to be able to imagine how the Chinese media would report this scene the next day...
Maybe not many people in distant China have heard of our Leeds City Club before, but it doesn't matter... I guarantee that you will all know it in the future!
At the end of the welcome ceremony, Hu Lai kicked the football into the stands and gave it to the fans who came to cheer him on. Wang Haoxi used his skills as a goalkeeper in the high school team and jumped into the air, before the football even touched the ground.
I grabbed one.
After delivering the footballs, Hu Lai, wearing a Leeds City jersey and holding a Leeds City scarf, took a group photo with the club chairman, team coach, and the panda doll.
Everyone in the camera is smiling brightly, even the panda doll seems to be smiling.
Today's happy scene seems to indicate that Hu Lai will have a bright future in this team...
