Fox in the Penalty Area

When Hu Lai walked into the locker room of the Leeds City training base with his bag on his back, he saw captain Lorenzo greet him: "Hi, Hu. Did you rest well last night?"

"Thank you Captain, it's okay."

"The wound on your body...is it alright?"

After Hu Lai finished training yesterday, he went back to the locker room to take a shower, took off his clothes and saw all kinds of bruises on his chest and back.

It may not actually be serious, after all, it is all skin trauma. It is an exaggeration to say that in the football world, skin trauma can almost equal no injury.

But I can't help but look scary visually...

Hu Lai's body yesterday was as if he had just finished cupping. It looks shocking.

Although bumps and bumps in training are normal, but seeing Hu Lai's appearance as the captain, Lorenzo still cares a little.

He also saw Hu Lai's performance in training yesterday, and he really suffered a lot in confrontation.

When Hu Lai heard the captain's question, he was taken aback for a moment—the injury on my body? What hurts me?

It wasn't long before he realized that what the captain was talking about should be those scary-looking bump marks.

So he said, "Oh, that's nothing, I'm used to it."

"Are you used to it?" Lorenzo was surprised.

Hu Lai looked at the captain and smiled and said, "Captain, you don't know the story of me playing football before? In fact, I didn't have any football training before I was sixteen."

"Before the age of sixteen? How is this possible?" Lorenzo widened his eyes and exclaimed.

His exclamation also attracted the attention of other teammates in the locker room, many of them stared at Hu Lai, apparently very concerned about what he said.

Everyone is a professional player. Except when they are very young, when they are a little older, they will enter the echelon of each club to receive training, and then go all the way to eliminate many competitors, and finally appear in the Premier League as a professional player.

It can be said that many people start to receive football training from the age of five or six, and it will be difficult to get ahead if they are later than seven or eight years old.

A person like Hu Lai, who only started football training at the age of sixteen... is an incredible existence in their eyes.

Pete Williams, who had been lacking in interest in his new teammates before, couldn't help but look up at Hou Lai when he heard this.

You didn't start learning to play football until you were sixteen, bragging?

He seems to be only 21 years old now, can he join the Premier League team in five years?

Williams has been called a genius by people around him, coaches, and the media since he was a child, and he really lives up to the name of a genius.

As a leader trained by Leeds City's youth training, he has never been absent from English teams of all ages. If he stays in the team and does not leave, he may become the only England senior national team in Leeds United's current team player of.

But even if he is a genius like him, he has shown his football talent since he was a child, and he began to receive formal football training in the elementary school he attended when he was six years old. And the elementary school he attended has an echelon training agreement with the Leeds City Club, which means that although he goes to elementary school, the coaches who come to train are all the echelon coaches of the Leeds City Club, which means that he accepts Leeds City. vocational training.

From the age of six to sixteen, he has experienced ten years of training with junior teams at all levels, and has established a solid contact.

As a result, this Chinese player who just joined the team actually said that he started training at the age of sixteen?

Pete Williams is 20 years old this year, and this new teammate has completed his 14-year football journey in five years...

"It's true, captain. There's no need for me to lie to you about it." The new teammate was still explaining, "In my country, it's not a secret, many people know it, and the media has covered it all Yes. 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. The level of the players is very strict on me. So every time after training, I have so many marks on my body. So I said I am used to it.”

Facing Hu Lai with his hands outstretched, Lorenzo suddenly said, "That's why you can make such rapid progress in five years..."

"That's not right, Lorenzo." Some of the teammates who had been interested earlier raised their hands to express doubts.

Hu Lai looked over, and he remembered this person's name. When they met each other the day before yesterday, the other party reported his family name as Luke Davis, a Scot who played in the England team, and he was the team's central defender.

"Five years, how could it be possible to grow so fast in just five years? There are not no people in this world who started to get into football very late, but it is impossible for them to learn football in such a short period of time." Luke spread his hands and asked. Many of the teammates around him also nodded, feeling incredible.

is hanging.

That's because I turned it on.

Hu Lai said with a smile in his heart that he did not argue with his teammates on this issue. Because the explanation is not clear, and in the end it can only be attributed to the word "genius".

But that's even less convincing...

He went straight to his closet and began to change clothes for a new day of training.

Seeing this, the other teammates dispersed one after another, but many of them still looked at Hu Lai with probing or doubtful eyes.

They just met yesterday, but now they find that they still don't know the Chinese.

※※※

The players who have finished strength training are leaving the gym one after another. The morning training is over. They have to go back to the locker room to take a shower and change clothes, go to the restaurant for dinner, and then go to sleep.

Pete Williams looks back as he leaves the gym.

In the gym, there are still people who have not left, except for a few "perverts" who are keen on strength training, that is the new teammate who just joined the team.

In a corner of the gym, Hou Lai is undergoing core strength training arranged for him by the coaching staff with the one-on-one help of the team's fitness coach Anthony Clement.

Hu Lai, who was lying on his back on a weight-lifting bed and performing supine presses, lifted a 25-kilogram barbell from a barbell stand that was about the same level as his chest** height with both hands, pushed it until his arms were straight, and then Slowly lower it back down on the stand.

He has done five sets of this set of movements, with each set pushing 15 times.

"Straighten your arms, but don't lock your elbows... Inhale when you lower the bar, exhale when you lift it up, as if blowing it up... Hold on, don't shake your arms, slow down, Go slower...slower can protect you. Very good."

Clement, a muscular fitness coach, held both hands on the grab bar, and at the same time reminded Hu Lai to pay attention to his movements.

Williams, who saw this scene, shook his head. He only weighed 20 kilograms... It was really hard for him to believe how this man could catch up with him in 14 years in five years.

He stopped paying attention to this person, turned his head and walked out of the gym.

Behind him, Clemente was still saying: "...in a crowded penalty area, to occupy a territory that belongs to you, and more importantly, to push the opponent away from yourself to gain more room for movement, and It’s not about pulling your opponent toward you. So something like the bench press is especially helpful when you’re wrestling with an opponent in the paint ... one more set, carry on.”

Hu Lai didn't speak, only heavy breathing.

Although the team conducts some daily strength training, for Tony Clark, it is obviously impossible to quickly improve Hu Lai's core strength only by relying on strength training during training.

Hu Lai's lack of confrontation ability is not because he is light in weight and looks thin, but mainly because of lack of core strength.

There are many players who are not the kind of "devil muscular people" from the outside, but their confrontation ability on the court is not weak at all.

For example, Meli, he does not look strong, but he can withstand the collision interference from the opponent in the dribbling breakthrough. It is because his core strength is not bad.

Although it is not good enough to be rock-solid, but as long as he can withstand the most critical blow of the opponent when he has the ball, he can get rid of the opponent with his dexterous steps and speed.

In Tony Clark's view, the same is true of Hou Lai. He doesn't need to train himself to be a bodybuilder, and he doesn't expect him to put the label of "strong" on his face. But he must have the ability to resist the impact of a Premier League defender when he takes the ball or shoots in the penalty area. He doesn't have to last too long, as long as he can block it once.

In the penalty area, it is also difficult for ordinary forwards to hold the ball for a long time. It is too long for them to stay with the ball at their feet for a second.

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 playing 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, and Hu Lai had no objection to this. Anyway, the coach is professional in this regard, and he will practice as the coach says.

At the same time, Tony Clark also euphemistically told Hu Lai that he will definitely not enter the squad for the 22nd round of the league two days later, and it is even uncertain whether he will enter the squad for the 23rd round of the league ten days later. .

Holly understands 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 hard, and he would not let him wait too long for the Premier League.

But now Hu Lai really doesn't care if he can play as soon as possible, although domestic fans and media may care very much.

He knows his shortcomings, and also knows that some steps cannot be omitted.

For him now, it is regarded as closed-door training, and it is still open-ended closed-door training-after knowing the targeted training content arranged by the head coach for him yesterday, he spent 5,000 points and exchanged them from the system mall A [Advanced Training Scroll: Strength], which will increase the effect of your own strength training in the next Forty Realms training sessions.

It was used on the spot.

As for the effect, because the training time is too short, I can't feel it yet.

But Hu Lai has never had any doubts about the system, which is one of the important reasons why he can hold his breath.

Put your head down and practice hard first, and then go out to the mountains to meet the Premier League heroes after I have achieved great success, and see if you are a gathering of heroes, or a meeting with radish!

※※※

After finishing the special training, Hu Lai also came to the restaurant after returning to the locker room to take a shower and change clothes. Although he was almost the last to come, most of the players were still there.

Some of them chatted while eating, so they ate slowly. Some people are not in a hurry to leave after eating and stay in the restaurant.

Ms. Mia Schmidt, the club nutritionist who supervised the players' meals in the restaurant, saw Hu Lai 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 high-intensity physical strength training, and within an hour is the golden time to repair damaged muscles, and taking protein can help you repair muscles better."

After Hu Lai thanked him, he was about to turn around and find a table to sit on, 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 about the unprofessional side of European football, but today he saw the professional side of European football...

"Great, young man." Seeing that Hu Lai finished drinking the drink she prepared, Ms. Schmidt nodded with satisfaction.

Only then did Hu Lai turn around and find a place to sit.

The restaurant is not too big, but it can accommodate dozens of people dining in it.

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 placed, each long table can accommodate fifteen 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 nuisance that no one cares about and no one wants to eat with you, you will choose that kind of place-this is also some small rules of the team that Hu Lai only learned after officially training with the team yesterday.

And the day he came to the team for the welcome ceremony, he ate at those individual tables...

Now that Hu Lai came late, the first long table was already full, and there was still space at the end of the second one.

He walked over with his lunch.

When he sat down, the Leeds City player sitting next to him took the initiative to greet him: "Hi, Hu, your English is really good."

Hou Lai knew that his name was Charlie Potter, and he was the right midfielder of the team.

"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 the two of 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 go up to strike up a conversation with a pretty girl, and he is still a happy bachelor..."

"Charlie shut up." Jose Vieira, who was eating across the way, glared at Porter first, showing the whites of his eyes, and then said to Hu Lai in English with a strong accent, "I'm Spanish."

This kind of explains why he is still not fluent in English.

Hu Lai also suddenly realized that 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've been to Spain, and very few people there speak English." Facing Vieira, Hou Lai naturally switched to the Spanish mode. "Is it because Spaniards are proud of their language?"

This stunned Vieira, who was opposite him, and Potter, who was beside him.

"God, do you speak Spanish?" Vieira didn't answer Hu Lai's question, but exclaimed in Spanish.

His voice attracted the attention of others in the restaurant.

Everyone cast their eyes on 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 that everyone was looking at him, he said in German, "What's the matter? I can speak German."

It's time for a showdown, stop pretending, I'm a real genius!

Ms. Mia Schmidt, a full-time nutritionist from Germany in the restaurant, raised her eyebrows when she heard this sound. 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 had the most contact with Hu Lai. He didn't even know that Hu Lai could speak so many languages. He thought that Hu Lai could speak English well enough, but he didn't expect He can also come in Spanish and German.

So he said to Hu Lai in Italian: "If I speak to you in Italian, will you understand me, Hu Lai?"

Hou Lai answered him in fluent Italian: "No problem at all, Captain."

His performance aroused great interest from his teammates. Dutch goalkeeper Mikay van der Ven 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 difference, but I know what they have in common."

"What is it?"

"That's what I can say." Holly said in Dutch.

Van der Ven put his head in his hands, his eyes widened like light bulbs.

No one was eating in the restaurant anymore. There were quite a few people holding their heads in their hands like Van Deven. 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 studying. I didn't believe it before, but now I believe it..."

Pete Williams looked at the person who made him unconvinced and now made him unconvinced with a look of surprise.

Even that not-so-friendly Farreck Quinn has his mouth in an "O" shape.

Compared with Hu Lai's ability in football, they are probably even more shocked that a Chinese is proficient in all their languages.

But Hu Lai didn't expect that he and his new teammates would get along in this way-he had thought before that after he showed his ability on the football field, he would naturally conquer his new teammates.

In the end, he conquered them first with his words...

He seems to have integrated into the group all of a sudden and won the friendship of his teammates.

Charlie Potter slapped the table and shouted: "Huh! We want to hear you speak Chinese!"

His proposal quickly got everyone's response.

Because Hu Lai speaks English well, he has always spoken English with his teammates after he came to the team, so that as a Chinese, he has not even spoken his mother tongue in front of his teammates. Therefore, none of the players in Leeds City have heard of what Chinese is like.

Joe Taylor further suggested: "No! Don't talk, sing! Hu, sing us a Chinese song!"

The teammates shouted: "That's right! Sing! Sing!"

Everyone patted the table rhythmically, and the restaurant was very lively.

Hu Lai was also very happy that someone asked him to sing. It is really hard to find a close friend. I did not expect that there are people in far away Europe who know how to appreciate his singing...

So he raised his arms: "No problem! I'll sing a Chinese pop song for everyone!"

The dining room fell silent, and everyone looked at him expectantly.

In a quiet atmosphere, Hu Lai cleared his throat first, then raised his head and began to sing:

"Change your life and make yourself happy; give up your attachment, and the weather will become better; every time you walk, it is a harvest, what are you waiting for to make the right choice..." (Note 1)

Listening to his singing, which he didn't know whether to sing or read, 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 the output, howling at the top of his voice:

"...I am still the boy I used to be! Nothing has changed! Time is just a test! The faith planted in my heart has not diminished!"

The boat of friendship capsizes...

※※※

Note 1, the song is Mengran's "Youth", this song is already rotten, but I still think the chorus part is quite suitable for Hu Lai, ha!

The young man in front of him still had the same face at the beginning, no matter how many difficulties and dangers he faced, he would not retreat;

Say,

Never never give up!

Like a fire!