What kind of football player is handsome?

Chapter 26 An Unfavorable Loan Journey, Unbridled Growth, Starting with Intra-team Training Matches!

After packing his luggage, Liu Yi went to the front desk of Carrington Base to say goodbye to the receptionist, Cass Phipps.

Liu Yi will never forget the first time he met Grandma Case—when she learned that she came from a distant ancient country in the East, a hint of undisguised surprise flashed across her eyes, which quickly turned into a warm smile.

He patted the back of his hand and said, "Child, no matter what happens here, you can come and tell me anytime."

Often, a team's heritage isn't necessarily embodied in its record or the number of championships it has won, but rather hidden in the cultural symbols that have been refined over time. It's a spirit, and the carrier of that spirit is its people. If one had to choose, Liu Yi believes that "Grandma Cass," who has played for Manchester United since 1968 and treated every young player like her own child, is the one who truly embodies the Manchester United DNA.

Now, it's time to say goodbye to the old lady who helped me integrate into the red country.

"I have to go now, Grandma Cass. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."

A hint of reluctance flashed in Cass Phelps' eyes, but he still slowly got up, holding onto the edge of the table, and gave Liu Yi a big hug.

"God bless you, my child. The important thing is to stay healthy."

"Don't be so sad, Grandma Case, we'll meet again!"

Liu Yi waved goodbye, and his figure, carrying a huge suitcase, disappeared around the corner at the door.

※※※

Steve Walsh drove Liu Yi and his companion from Manchester to Leicester.

As Liu Yi quietly admired the rural landscape and small towns passing by outside the window, a complex mix of emotions welled up in his heart.

You don't know how amazing China's infrastructure is until you go abroad.

How come a long-established capitalist country, the former "empire on which the sun never sets," and a giant of the Industrial Revolution, can't even put together a high-speed rail system?

However, I've heard that the rail transit near London is quite good, but it gets worse the further north you go.

"Stay at the training ground until you find a place to live. The facilities here are definitely not as good as Manchester United's, but the coaches and team doctors are very caring, and the atmosphere is great."

The car slowly drove into Leicester City's training ground on Belvoir Avenue. Steve helped Liu Yi and his companion unload their luggage and gave them a brief tour of the place.

The first team had a half-day off, and the training base only had the reserve team and the U18 team, so everything seemed a bit deserted.

Dormitories, gym, physiotherapy room, training ground, canteen...

Simple, yet well-organized.

The last stop was the coach's office.

Liu Yi met Leicester City's head coach here, the newly appointed Swedish veteran Eriksson.

Wearing the same frameless glasses, Eriksson exudes a completely different temperament from Ferguson. As England's first foreign coach in a century, the Swede always has a calm and refined demeanor. His coaching ability is beyond doubt. However, as his physical condition deteriorates, Eriksson has shifted more of his energy from on-field command to team building planning.

"I've watched a lot of your game videos, and I'm very impressed with many of your characteristics. I think with your qualities, you'll be able to adapt to the pace of the Championship very quickly."

Erickson gently placed his hand on Liu Yi's shoulder, his eyes filled with admiration.

Turning his head, he saw Lingard standing next to Liu Yi, and the Swedish coach affectionately patted Lingard's head.

"You look very small, child."

Lingard was speechless.

Why does it suddenly turn into a child-rearing style when it comes to him?!

※※※

In the afternoon, the team held a brief fan meet-and-greet for Liu Yi and Lingard.

Liu Yi's jersey number is 23.

This wasn't because of that black bastard in Chicago, but because 23 was his birthday.

Furthermore, there is no number smaller than 23.

There were very few fans present; most of them were just there to watch the spectacle.

A small group of people hid in the crowd and whispered among themselves.

"What's the point of renting out these young players instead of those who can contribute immediately? It's better to develop our own youth academy players than to level them up!"

"This kid is so skinny and weak, can he even compete in the Championship?"

"Look at his skin tone, it's the same as our boss's! Could he have been brought here to attract sponsorships?"

"That's an oversimplification... This kid has at least scored in the Champions League, so he's got some skill."

Liu Yi, of course, couldn't hear these sarcastic remarks.

After a good night's sleep, the two arrived at the training ground early the next day.

Several people are already training.

Liu Yi met them briefly and memorized several of their key players.

Midfielder Andy King (number 10), center-back Curtis Davis, and...

An East Asian man who looked very much like Ken Shimizu, a big name in Japanese fantasy action films, walked over and greeted Liu Yi in heavily accented English.

"Konnijiwa, Wagada Abe Yuuki!"

Oh, so they really are Japanese people living a pretty good life!

"Oh, hello."

Liu Yi responded indifferently.

None of the well-known Japanese players from the past had a good ending. Kazuyoshi Miura refused to leave, determined to break Sir Stanley Matthews' record as the oldest professional player, much like Emperor Qianlong tried to cheat Li Du.

Takumi Minamino provoked and belittled Chinese players during the World Cup qualifiers, yet he married the beautiful "dream girl" Yuzuri Yanagi.

The most idiotic one has to be a Brighton star whose name starts with three. He's still worshipping war criminals and is just like that Turkish-German good-for-nothing. He should just break his leg and die already.

Of course, you can't blame everything on the house; actresses in their thirties are still top-notch. It's just a pity that those two are expressionless, the kind with stunning looks but terrible acting skills.

Overall, the team atmosphere at Leicester City seems quite good.

There was no absolute "locker room leader" in the team, nor were there any salary parasites with exorbitant salaries who couldn't deliver much performance. The team's performance was mediocre, and everyone did their job happily, like going to work and collecting their salaries. In addition, the veteran coach Eriksson was highly respected, so naturally nothing much happened.

"Beep!"

A whistle blew.

Eriksson arrived at the training ground with his coaching team.

The training content was unremarkable, and the overall intensity was slightly lower than Manchester United's, but it was still very intensive.

Soon we reached the final stage.

Group training match!

Liu Yi received the yellow jersey number, symbolizing the main force.

Lingard, wearing a red vest, stood opposite Liu Yi.

Lindsey, brimming with confidence, declared: "We've never been opponents before! Today, I'll show you the might of the 'Cheshire King'!"

With a whistle, the training match began.

After passing the ball back, Liu Yi quickly broke into the substitute team's defense.

After receiving the ball, Andy King quickly passed it to the wing.

Former England international Vassell, who once played for Manchester City, was known for his incredible speed.

He and Liu Yi joined the team one after the other. They originally went to Turkey to make money, but they didn't do well and were in an awkward situation where they were "not retired, but no one wanted them". Fortunately, they were invited to come out of retirement by Walsh after his three visits and continued to contribute their remaining energy in the Championship.

After outmaneuvering two defenders on the wing, Vaselle crossed the ball from the byline.

Lingard suddenly shouted.

"Watch your butt! Watch your butt!"

Substitute center-back Michael Morrison, unaware of what was happening, instinctively covered his backside.

Unexpectedly, a dark figure suddenly emerged from his side and behind, tearing through the defense like lightning, reaching the ball, and unleashing a powerful shot without any adjustment.

boom!

Substitute goalkeeper Kirkland didn't even react, watching the ball fly into the net.

"Oh dear, I told you to watch your butt! Liu loves to insert his penis in that spot!"

Lingard was exasperated; he had reminded his team, yet they still conceded the ball.

What a wonderful start!

Less than a minute into the training match, Liu Yi found an opportunity to run and score.

Eriksson was overjoyed.

His worries vanished as Liu Yi made agile runs and made exquisite plays.

Those big, clumsy guys in the Championship are no match for this smart kid.

An unrealistic idea quietly surfaced in the mind of the veteran Swedish coach.

Perhaps... this young man from China could truly be the key to turning around Leicester City's early-season slump?