Chapter 5 The first day of training in the Premier League
Although the crew of the Hulay documentary really wanted to film Hulay's first training session at Leeds City.
However, Tony Clark did not agree to this request, and only allowed them to film during the first fifteen minutes of opening time. However, the whole team was warming up at that time, and they could not film anything meaningful. At most, it could only be used as a film.
A sign that "Hulay has started training at Leeds City Club" was inserted in the documentary.
The picture that can be seen is that Hu Lai has put on the uniform light blue training uniform of Leeds City and is running and warming up on the training ground with his teammates. He and his teammates are supporting each other and stretching.
They wanted to capture the scene of Hu Lai laughing and having fun with his teammates, but it didn't appear in the camera.
Whether he is running or stretching, Hu Lai looks focused and serious.
Logically speaking, this should be a good sign.
However, someone in the film crew waiting outside the training base looked at the footage replayed on his machine and couldn't help but frowned: "Oh, I always feel that Hu Lai is a bit serious... It feels like he was training in Flashing Star."
It’s a long way off.”
Someone next to him came up to take a look and said, "It's quite normal, right? After all, it's a strange environment, and no one is familiar with it. It's not like when he was in Flashing Star, he was surrounded by friends."
The emotional person said: "This is what I want to say. I am not worried about Hu Lai's ability, but I am worried that he has no friends here and cannot integrate into the team. After all, he is a player who needs the support of his teammates after playing.
Type, if no one passes the ball to him and helps him, his performance in Leeds City will definitely not be as good as that in Flash Stars..."
The man comforted him: "It's too far away... If Hu Lai can perform in Leeds City like he did in Flash Star, he will be a superstar! What is the concept of thirty goals in the Premier League in a season? He can win the Premier League Golden Boot.
! Let’s not be too impatient and wait patiently for Hu Lai’s growth.”
The comforted person stopped talking and just repeatedly checked what he had just photographed.
I don’t know if it’s the difference between the “group actors” around him and the environment he’s in, but looking at it this way, I feel that Hu Lai has become a lot more handsome.
Premier League players, one of the top football leagues in the world.
And Hu Lai has become a member of this event.
Maybe my colleague is right, don't be too hasty and be patient.
For him to appear here, side by side with others, is already an incredible achievement.
※※※
On the training ground, Hulay was knocked to the ground by Farrak Quinn, who he had impressed so much yesterday.
As a result, he was unable to catch the ball.
But no whistle sounded, and no one stopped training. Everyone ran away after the football.
Only Quinn looked back at Hu Lai, who was knocked to the ground by him, and said in English: "Don't lie on the ground and pretend to be dead!"
Hu Lai stood up from the ground with a grin on his face and responded: "Thanks for the reminder, man."
Then get over Quinn and get back into training.
Quinn was a little surprised by Hu Lai's response. He originally thought that this kid would have a few words with him, so that he would have an excuse to give him some color.
As a result, the other party did not give me such a chance.
I'll keep an eye on you, kid. Let's see what you can do to replace Lorraine!
Quinn said silently in his heart.
※※※
Hu Lai, who ran to a new position, raised his arm again and asked his teammates for the ball.
Although the football was not passed, he did not give up, but continued to move to the next place.
After assistant coach Sam Landill saw this scene on the sidelines, he said to Tony Clark next to him: "He doesn't look as introverted as I think Chinese people are, although I didn't see how he interacted with his teammates.
They communicated with each other, but in training he was actively asking for the ball."
Tony Clark naturally saw this, but he was more concerned about Hu Lai's movement. He asked his assistant: "Sam, have you noticed his movement without the ball?"
"Of course, although we can't draw any conclusions yet, judging from his few moves, Matt is right. Hu is extremely talented in this area. But his body... He was just beaten by Quinn
Knocked down easily, the referee would not even blow the whistle during the game." As an experienced coach, Sam Randill saw Hu Lai's biggest shortcoming at a glance.
"Physically, of course, we will arrange a set of training content for him to increase strength. But Sam, I don't think that is a big problem. He is not the kind of forward who fights with defensive players in the game. Even if he is
I was knocked down ten times during the game, but as long as I can seize the opportunity once, it counts as a good performance."
"Is he so efficient?" Sam was a little surprised.
"Well, it is mainly reflected in his running in front of the goal and superb shooting skills. Matt counted his performance in the just-concluded Chinese Super League. Hu played a total of 22 times and scored 30 goals. At the end of the league
Scored goals in seven consecutive rounds, scoring a total of 14 goals, averaging two goals per game." Tony Clark reported the data that Matt compiled for him. "He is not a player with outstanding strength in the Chinese Super League.
He still has to face the defense of those strong defenders in the game, but he can still score so many goals..."
Seeing that Sam seemed to have something to say, Tony quickly said: "Of course, I don't expect him to maintain such a scoring efficiency when he comes to the Premier League. After all, both the rhythm and confrontation here are much better than those in the Chinese Super League. But as long as
If he can score seven goals in half a season... no, five goals, I will be satisfied."
Leeds City's current main scorer is their captain Lorenzo Esposito. The Italian veteran has scored five goals in the Premier League this season and is the team's top scorer.
Although he is thirty-three years old, he is still the team's strength.
The talented midfielder who ranks second in the team's top scorer list is Pete Williams, who scored four goals. However, due to issues in contract renewal negotiations with the club, he is in poor form and has not scored in eleven consecutive league rounds.
A goal was scored.
In addition, two players scored two goals, and five players scored only one goal.
A total of nine players on the team have scored so far, and a total of 18 goals have been scored.
It is the team with the third fewest goals in the league.
Therefore, Tony Clark feels that if Hu Lai, a player who came only halfway, can score five goals in the remaining half of the season, it will be considered good. Such a requirement is not low, after all, the team's current top scorer Lorenzo
·Esposito also scored five goals in half a season.
If Hu Lai can perform like this, he will be the team's top scorer throughout the season.
While the two were talking, Hu Lai, who was on the field, was defeated by a physical confrontation with his teammates and was knocked aside.
"He still has a long way to go, Tony, you'd better not think about how many goals he can score in half a season." Sam Randall said upon seeing this.
Tony Clark rubbed his chin and fell into silence.
※※※
In the evening, after returning to the hotel for dinner, Hu Lai only wore a pair of shorts and his upper body was naked in his room, and asked Uncle Yong to apply medicine to him. In fact, he simply applied some safflower oil and then spread it to activate blood circulation.
Massage to remove blood stasis.
The visual effect looked a bit scary. Many places on Hu Lai's body were bruised and purple, as if he had been domestically assaulted.
And these were completely and faithfully presented in the footage of the CCTV documentary crew.
When Yong Jun's hands were rubbing and massaging his body, Hu Lai took a breath: "Hiss..."
"Does it hurt?" Yong Jun stopped and asked.
"It's okay, Uncle Yong, please continue." Hu Lai lay on the bed and shook his head.
Then he saw the camera lens and said to the camera: "Actually, it's normal. When I was in the Flash Stars, I would have some bruises on my body after training and games. After all, football requires physical contact.
Well."
Yong Jun poured some more safflower oil into his palm: "But not as much as now."
"This is the Premier League, Uncle Yong. The training intensity has almost caught up with our Chinese Super League games. This afternoon, coach Clark specially arranged training for me to strengthen my physical resistance. He also made requirements for me on what I should eat and drink every day.
, so that I must strictly follow that recipe... Hey, it was also at this time that I learned that when Leeds City coached in Cali, the players still had the custom of ordering pizza takeaway for dinner after the game...
To put it this way, the Premier League is not much better than our domestic profession."
"So why did Leeds City not perform well in the past?" Yong Jun said half-jokingly, "There must be a certain reason. It's just that they have a good foundation, but they are also unprofessional. They must be better than us. And in professional sports
If we go by professional standards, even many world champions are not professional... I won’t even talk about drinking, let’s talk about smoking. Many players in the European League are smokers. Will anyone use this to hold them back?
?It’s nothing more than good grades.”
This Hu Lai does know that many professional players in the European leagues smoke, and some of them are very addicted to smoking.
Not to mention European football, Hu Lai knew that some people in the Flash Star team also smoked, but they didn't smoke in the locker room...
"Actually, it's okay as it is now. Clark has arranged a special training plan for you, which shows that he really values you and hopes you will make progress. Be patient and continue to polish yourself." Yong Jun said while giving him medicine and massage.
"Well, I'm not in a hurry. I signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club. I'm still young. Take your time and lay the foundation, one step at a time..."
Hu Lai's voice became smaller as he spoke.
Yong Jun turned to look at him and found that the boy had closed his eyes and was breathing heavily. He was obviously asleep.
So he stopped talking and his hand movements became much gentler.
The photographer also performed his duty silently and recorded the scene in front of him.
It was the "Hope of the Village"'s first day of training with the Premier League side.