When Hu Lai walked into the locker room of the Leeds City training base with his bag on his back, he saw captain Lorenzo greeting him proactively: "Hi, Hu Lai. Did you have a good rest last night?"
"Thank you, captain, it's okay."
"Are your injuries... okay?"
After Hu Lai trained yesterday, he went back to the locker room to take a shower. When he took off his clothes, he saw various bruises on his chest and back.
Maybe it's not serious in fact. After all, it's all skin trauma. To exaggerate, in the football world, skin trauma can be almost equal to no injury.
But I can’t stand it, the visual effects look scary...
Hu Lai looked as if he had just had cupping done yesterday. He looked shocking.
Although it is normal to bump into each other during training, Lorenzo, the captain, was still a little concerned when he saw Hu Lai's appearance.
He also saw Hu Lai's performance in training yesterday. He was really at a disadvantage in the confrontation.
When Hu Lai heard the captain's question, he was stunned for a moment - the injury on my body? What injury on my body?
Then he realized it - the captain was probably talking about those scary-looking bump marks.
So he said: "Ah, that's okay, I'm used to it."
"Get used to it?" Lorenzo was surprised.
Hu Lai looked at the captain and smiled and said: "Captain, you don't know the story of my past playing football, right? In fact, I didn't have any contact with football training before I was sixteen years old."
"Before sixteen? How is this possible?" Lorenzo exclaimed with his eyes widened.
His exclamation also attracted the attention of other teammates in the locker room. Many people stared at Hu Lai, obviously very concerned about what he said.
Everyone is a professional player. Except when they are very young, those who are a little older will enter the echelon of various clubs to receive training, and then eliminate many competitors along the way, and finally appear in the Premier League as a professional player.
It can be said that many people start receiving football training when they are five or six years old. If it is later than seven or eight years old, it will be difficult for them to get ahead.
People like Hu Lai, who only started to get involved in football training at the age of sixteen... are simply incredible in their eyes.
Pete Williams, who had previously shown little interest in his new teammates, couldn't help but raise his head and cast a glance at Hu Lai when he heard this.
You didn’t start learning to play football until you were sixteen. Are you bragging?
He seems to be only 21 years old now, can he join a Premier League team in five years?
Williams has been called a genius by the people around him, coaches, and the media since he was a child, and he certainly lives up to his reputation as a genius.
As a leader trained by Leeds City's youth training, he has never missed England's teams of all ages. If he stays in the team, he may become the only England adult national team currently in Leeds United's lineup.
player of.
But even if a genius is like him, he has shown his football talent since he was a child, and he began to receive formal football training at the primary school he attended when he was six years old. The primary school he attended has an echelon training agreement with Leeds City Club, that is to say
Although he went to primary school, the coaches who came to train were all echelon coaches of Leeds City Club, which meant that he received professional training from Leeds City.
From the age of six to sixteen, he experienced a full ten years of training in youth teams at all levels, establishing solid contact.
As a result, this Chinese player who just joined the team actually said that he only started training when he was sixteen?
Pete Williams is twenty years old this year. This new teammate has completed his fourteen-year football career in five years...
"It's true, captain. There's no need for me to lie to you about this." The new teammate continued to explain, "In my country, this is not a secret. Many people know it and the media has reported it.
The point is not this..."
Hu Lai waved his hand: "What I want to say is that the first time I came into contact with football training was in my high school team. At that time, the head coach of our high school team wanted him to catch up with the other players in the team as quickly as possible.
The level of players is very strict with me. So after every training, there are so many marks on my body. So I said I am used to it."
Facing Hu Lai with his hands spread out, Lorenzo suddenly realized: "That's why you can make such rapid progress in five years..."
"That's not right, Lorenzo." Some of the teammates who had already shown interest raised their hands in question.
Hu Lai looked over and remembered this man's name. When they met each other the day before yesterday, the other party introduced himself as Luke Davis, a Scotsman who plays for the English team. He is the team's central defender.
"Five years, how can you grow so fast in just five years? There are people in this world who started to contact football very late, but it is impossible for them to grow up in such a short time." Luke spread his hands and asked
Many of his teammates around him also nodded, feeling incredible.
It's hanging.
That's because I cheated.
Hu Lai said in his heart with a smile on his face that he did not argue with his teammates about this issue. Because it was difficult to explain, in the end it could only be summed up as "genius".
But this is even less convincing...
He went straight to his locker and started changing clothes to prepare for a new day of training.
Upon seeing this, other teammates dispersed, but many people still looked at Hu Lai with inquiring or doubtful eyes.
They just met yesterday, but now they find that they still don't know this Chinese person.
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The players who have finished their strength training are leaving the gym one after another. The morning training has ended. They have to go back to the locker room to shower and change clothes, then go to the restaurant to eat, and then go to bed.
Pete Williams glanced back as he left the gym.
In the gym, there are still people who have not left. Except for a few "perverts" who are keen on strength training, it is the new teammate who has just joined the team.
In a corner of the gym, Hulay is conducting core strength training arranged for him by the coaching staff with one-on-one help from the team's physical coach Anthony Clement.
Hu Lai, who was lying on his back on the weight bench and doing bench presses, lifted a 25-kilogram barbell from a barbell stand that was about the same height as his chest with both hands, pushed it until his arms were straight, and then lifted it with both hands.
Lower it slowly and put it back on the stand.
He has done this set of movements for five sets, with each set being pushed fifteen times.
"The arms should be straight, but don't lock the elbow joints...inhale when you put the barbell down, and exhale when you lift the barbell, as if you are blowing the barbell up...hold steady, don't shake your arms, go slower,
Slower... Slower can protect you. Very good."
Clement, a physical trainer with a muscular body, held his hands on the grab bar while reminding Hu Lai to pay attention to his movements.
Seeing this scene, Williams shook his head. It was only a 20 kilogram barbell... It was really hard for him to believe how this man could catch up with him in fourteen years in five years.
He no longer paid attention to this person, turned around and walked out of the gym.
Behind him, Clement was still talking: "...In a crowded penalty area, to occupy a territory of your own, the more important thing is to push your opponent away from yourself in order to gain more space for movement, and
It’s not about pulling your opponent towards you. So training like the bench press is especially helpful when you’re struggling with your opponent in the penalty area... There’s another set, continue.”
Hu Lai didn't speak, only breathing heavily.
Although the team conducts some strength training on a daily basis, for Tony Clark, it is obviously not possible to quickly improve Hu Lai's core strength by just relying on strength training during training.
Hu Lai's lack of confrontation ability is not because he is light in weight or looks thin, but mainly because of his lack of core strength.
There are many players who may not look like "devil musclemen" in appearance, but their ability to fight on the court is not weak at all.
For example, Melli doesn't look very strong, but he can withstand collisions and interference from opponents during dribbling and breakthroughs. This is because his core strength is pretty good.
Although he is not as good as a rock, as long as he can withstand the opponent's most critical moment when getting the ball, he can get rid of the opponent with his deft pace and speed.
In Tony Clark's opinion, the same is true for Hu Lai. He does not need to train himself to be a bodybuilder, and he does not expect him to put the label of "strong" on his face. But he must have the ability to win in the penalty area.
The ability to withstand the impact of Premier League defenders when hitting the ball or shooting. You don't have to hold on for too long, as long as you can block it once.
In the penalty area, it is difficult for forwards to hold the ball for a long time. Even if the ball is at their feet for one second, it is already a long time for them.
The various strength training plans developed by Tony Clark's coaching staff for Hu Lai are not to train all the muscles of Hu Lai's body, but to use several parts when forwards often need to engage in physical confrontation.
Muscle strength needs to be enhanced.
On the first day of training yesterday, Tony Clark also asked for his opinion. Hu Lai had no objection to this. Anyway, the coach is professional in this area. He will practice how the coach tells him to practice.
At the same time, Tony Clark also tactfully informed Hu Lai that he will definitely not be included in the squad for the 22nd round of the league two days later. It is even uncertain whether he will be included in the squad for the 23rd round of the league ten days later.
.
Hu Lai understood this,
Seeing that Hu Lai was so reasonable, Tony felt a little embarrassed. He even patted Hu Lai on the shoulder to encourage him to train seriously and not let him wait too long to play in the Premier League.
But Hu Lai really doesn't care whether he can play as soon as possible, even though domestic fans and media may be very concerned about it.
He knows his shortcomings and also knows that there are some steps that cannot be omitted.
For him now, it is regarded as a closed-door practice, and it is a closed-door practice. Yesterday, after knowing the targeted training content arranged by the head coach, he used 5,000 points to redeem them from the system mall.
An [Advanced Training Scroll: Strength] will increase the effectiveness of your strength training in the next forty training sessions.
It was used on the spot.
As for the effect, I can’t feel it yet because the training time is too short.
But Hu Lai never had any doubts about the system, which was one of the important reasons why he was able to remain calm.
I will practice hard first, and after I have mastered my magic skills, I will go out to meet the Premier League heroes for a while. Let’s see if you are a gathering of heroes or a carrot in a meeting!
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After finishing the special training, Hu Lai went back to the locker room to shower and change clothes and also came to the restaurant. Although he was almost the last one to come, most of the players were still there.
Some of them were chatting while eating, so they ate slowly. Some people didn't rush to leave after eating and continued to stay in the restaurant.
Ms. Mia Schmidt, the club nutritionist who was supervising the players' meals in the restaurant, saw Hulay coming in and took out a nutritious lunch specially prepared for him: small desserts, carbohydrates, chicken, fruits and vegetables, and
A bottle of drink.
"Drink this bottle of drink first, Chinese boy." Ms. Schmidt from Germany pointed to the bottle of drink on Hu Lai's dinner plate. "Protein drink. You have just performed intense physical strength training. Within an hour,
It’s the prime time to repair damaged muscles, and taking protein can help you repair them better.”
After thanking Hu Lai, he turned around to find a table to sit at, but was stopped by Ms. Schmidt: "Drink first, Hu."
She also winked at Hu Lai.
Hu Lai had no choice but to finish the protein drink in the bottle first. Yesterday he was complaining to Uncle Yong that European football also has an unprofessional side. Today he saw the professional side of European football...
"Great, young man." After seeing Hu Lai finish the drink she mixed, Ms. Schmidt nodded with satisfaction.
Only then was Hu Lai able to turn around and find a place to sit.
The restaurant is not too big, but it is enough to accommodate dozens of people dining inside.
The table in the core dining area is three ordinary tables joined together to form a long table. There are three such long tables. Judging from the number of chairs, each long table can accommodate fifteen people.
Individual meals at the same time.
In addition, there are some small tables placed by the window, which can accommodate four people. They are usually used by coaches, and players rarely eat there. Unless you are a no-no-no-brainer,
No one would choose a place like that if they don't want to eat with you - these are some of the team's little rules that Hu Lai only learned after he officially started training with the team yesterday.
And on the day he came to the team to attend the welcome ceremony, he ate at those separate tables...
Now Hu Lai came relatively late, the first long table was already full, and there was still room at the end of the second one.
He walked over carrying his lunch.
When he sat down, the Leeds City player sitting next to him took the initiative to greet him: "Hi, Hu, you speak English really well."
Hu Lai knew that his name was Charlie Porter and that he was the team's right midfielder.
"Thank you." Hu Lai thanked the other party.
"How did you learn it? Can you teach poor Vieira?" Porter pointed to the black player sitting opposite them and said, "He has been here for half a year and he still doesn't speak English fluently. Let's go out
When he was playing, he couldn't even talk to pretty girls when he saw them, and he is still a happy bachelor..."
"Charlie, shut up." Jose Vieira, who was eating opposite him, first glared at Porter, showing his huge white eyes, and then said to Hulay in English with a strong accent: "I am Spanish."
This explains why he is not fluent in English yet.
Hu Lai also suddenly realized - when they participated in the Madrid Olympics last summer, they really rarely saw English elements on the streets of Spain. Whether it was street signs, shop signs, signs, or restaurant menus, they were all in Spanish.
"I have been to Spain, and very few people speak English there." Facing Vieira, Hulay naturally switched to Spanish mode. "Is it because Spanish people are very proud of their language?"
This shocked both Viela opposite him and Potter beside him.
"God, you speak Spanish?" Vieira did not answer Hulay's question, but exclaimed in Spanish.
His voice attracted the attention of others in the restaurant.
Everyone looked at them one after another, and saw that it was the Chinese who had just joined the team, and then found that since joining the team, this Chinese seemed to easily become the focus of everyone's attention...
When Hu Lai saw everyone's eyes turned to him, he said in German: "What's this? I can also speak German."
Show your cards, stop pretending, I am a true genius!
Ms. Mia Schmidt, a full-time nutritionist from Germany in the restaurant, heard this and raised her eyebrows. It was indeed authentic German, without even a hint of accent from other countries.
Captain Lorenzo Esposito should be the person in the team who has the most contact with Hu Lai. He didn't even know that Hu Lai knew so many languages. He thought that Hu Lai's English was good enough, but he didn't expect that Hu Lai could speak English fluently.
He can also speak Spanish and German.
So he said to Hulay in Italian: "If I speak to you in Italian, can you understand it, Hulay?"
Hulay answered him in fluent Italian: "No problem at all, captain."
His performance aroused great interest from his teammates. Dutch goalkeeper Mikael van der Veen asked loudly in his native language: "Hu, do you know the difference between Dutch, English and German?"
Hu Lai shook his head and said in English: "I don't know the differences, but I know what they have in common."
"What is it?"
"That's what I can say," Hulay said in Dutch.
Fan Dewen put his head in his hands and his eyes were as wide as light bulbs.
No one was eating in the restaurant anymore. There were quite a few people like Fan Dewen holding their heads in their hands. Everyone was exclaiming as if they had seen a ghost.
"OH!MY!GOD!!"
"Mamma Mia!"
"My mother once told me that Chinese people are very good at learning. I didn't believe it before, but now I do..."
Pete Williams looked at this person with a surprised look on his face. He didn't care about him before and now he was unconvinced.
Even the unfriendly Farrakh Quinn opened his mouth into an "O" shape.
Compared with Hu Lai's ability in football, I am afraid that a Chinese who is proficient in all of their languages shocked them even more.
Hu Lai had no idea that he and his new teammates would get along in this way - he had thought that after he showed his ability on the football field, he would naturally conquer his new teammates.
As a result, he conquered them first with his words...
He seemed to fit into the group all of a sudden and gained the friendship of his teammates.
Charlie Potter pounded the table and shouted: "Hu! We want to hear you speak Chinese!"
His proposal received rapid response from everyone.
Because Hu Lai speaks English well, he has always spoken in English when communicating with his teammates after he came to the team, so that as a Chinese, he has not even spoken his native language in front of his teammates. So Leeds
None of the players in the city have ever heard of Chinese speaking.
Joe Taylor further suggested: "No! Don't speak, sing! Hu, sing us a Chinese song!"
The teammates roared: "That's right! Sing! Sing!"
Everyone was still banging the table rhythmically, and the restaurant was very lively.
Hu Lai was also very happy that someone took the initiative to ask him to sing. It was really hard to find a close friend. Unexpectedly, there were people in far away Europe who knew how to appreciate his singing...
So he raised his arms: "No problem! I will sing a Chinese pop song for everyone!"
The restaurant fell silent, and everyone looked at him expectantly.
In the quiet atmosphere, Hu Lai first cleared his throat, then raised his head and started singing:
"Change your life and make yourself happy; give up your persistence, and the weather will become nice; every time you walk by, it will be a harvest, so why are you waiting to make the right choice..." (Note 1)
Listening to the song he was singing or reciting, the smiles were gradually disappearing from the faces of the Leeds City players.
But Hu Lai, who had his eyes closed, was obviously deeply intoxicated by his own singing, and he had no idea how others would react to it.
When the chorus came, Hu Lai also increased his output and howled at the top of his lungs:
"...I am still the same boy as before! Nothing has changed! Time is just a test! The faith planted in my heart has not diminished at all!"
The boat of friendship capsized just as easily...
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Note 1, the song is "Youth" by Mengran. This song is already bad, but I still think the chorus part is quite suitable for Hu Lai, ha!
The young man in front of me still has the same face as before, no matter how many difficulties and dangers he faces, he will never give up;