Coach Carter beside him laughed and said, "Old Rice, you are still as good as ever! Ahem... But, let's not keep talking about things that the kids can't understand. Our Gu is a good kid who has never even been to a bar! Let's get straight to the point!"
Gu Ran blushed.
...Shame on me.
Not only did I understand it, I also played it more colorfully than you guys.
"Haha!" Old Rice laughed heartily, "Gu, you really haven't been to a bar yet?"
Gu Ran quickly said: "Yes, I really haven't been there."
Old Rice smiled and said, "Gu, you are so self-disciplined! No wonder you can improve so quickly, you are so self-disciplined! Good, very good, keep it up! The world is in need of good players like you! If all players can be like you, it will be amazing!"
Are they all like me? There aren't enough Hollywood actresses...
I don’t even have enough for myself!
Gu Ran cleared his throat and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Rice. I will continue to work hard."
"Good! Good! Really good!" Old Rice couldn't hide his admiration for Gu Ran in his eyes.
Coach Carter cleared his throat and continued to introduce: "Gu, the other one is the former head coach of Scunthorpe, Nigel Adkins. Although he has not been officially announced yet, he has signed a contract with Southampton Club. In another month, he will officially become the head coach of Southampton."
In other words, this person is very likely to be the future head coach.
Gu Ran immediately shook hands with Adkins, "Hello, Coach."
Adkins shook hands with Gu Ran without smiling, "Hello, Gu."
He has strong wrists, doesn't talk much, and looks very gentle compared to Coach Carter.
He is in his 50s, just like Coach Carter, but he has a lot of hair and his body is more like that of an athlete.
——It can be seen that this is a head coach with extremely strict requirements.
In Gu Ran's memory of his previous life, he did not have a deep impression of the name Nigel Adkins. After all, in his previous life, apart from paying attention to long-legged female stars, he only knew the names and identities of some football stars and coaches from big clubs. Gu Ran really did not pay much attention to coaches like Adkins who came from small teams.
Adkins' emotions were not revealed on his face. After shaking hands with Gu Ran, he stepped back half a body and handed the situation back to old Rice.
Gu Ran’s first impression of Adkins was: This guy... is a bit aloof and difficult to deal with.
But no matter what, old Rice brought the future head coach to this meeting to discuss the professional contract in detail.
Yes, from the moment you step into this room, the red carpet for your new journey has already been laid out.
Professionalization is finally about to begin!
Gu Ran tried hard to control his inner excitement and longing, and maintained a confused expression on the surface.
After all, the starting point is important!
The beginning of professionalization must be done with extreme caution!
Keeping a confused look is in line with his age of 17, and allows him to play the pig and eat the tiger on key issues.
Then I heard Lao Lais laugh and say, "Gu, I think you must be wondering why I want to meet you here?"
I'm not surprised. There's a future Chelsea boss standing downstairs. Isn't he trying to rob me? Of course, I have to pretend that I don't understand, otherwise it would be too pretentious.
Gu Ran smiled with a genuine feeling, "I don't quite understand."
Old Rice laughed and said, "Haha! It must be a good thing! A very good thing! Gu! This will be a turning point in your destiny! Your life will take off from now on! Are you happy?"
Holy shit…
You're setting such a high tone? You're just painting a rosy picture for me right away? Coach Carter is a master of PUA, and you, old Rice, are not a master of painting a rosy picture? Did Bell grow up eating the rosy pictures you painted for him when he was a child?
What kind of people did I meet? PUA-type Bole, pie-in-the-sky-type Bole, and there was also a taciturn coach standing over there.
It's so weird!
Gu Ran secretly sighed in his heart, and then said: "So, what is the good news?"
Seeing Gu Ran being so "sensible", Old Rice immediately smiled and pulled Gu Ran towards the sofa, "Come on, let's sit down and talk."
"Okay." Gu Ran smiled innocently and sat on the sofa.
Coach Carter also sat on the other side of Gu Ran, while Coach Adkins sat further away and continued to remain silent.
Old Rice spoke again: "Gu, first of all, I must know, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to go to college? Or do you want to enter professional football?"
Gu Ran said without hesitation, "I want to play football."
I want to be a star!
Going to college? I've already gone to college in my last life! I've been to college for 4 years! I'm almost sick of it! In the next 12 years, there will be no shortage of college students. Not to mention college students, there will be plenty of masters and PhDs everywhere!
I was finally reborn, how could I possibly go back to the old ways of going to college and working for others?
In this life, I want to do what I love to do! "What a wise choice!" Old Rice exclaimed: "Gu, with your talent, if you don't play in the professional league, it will be a loss to the whole world! As long as you choose the right path, you will definitely become a superstar in the future! I even dare to say this to you, your achievements will surpass Gareth Bale!"
This pancake...
Gu Ran asked seriously, "So Mr. Rice, what is the right way?"
Old Rice had been waiting for Gu Ran to ask this question. "Good question! Gu! Very good question! In fact, the most important question in life is to choose the right path. Everyone's path is different, and as an old man who has been through it, I think your path is to start from the low-level professional league and move towards the peak of life step by step!"
Old Rice didn't wait for Gu Ran to speak, and continued: "Gu, do you know? When Lamar Carter first introduced you to me, he said you were a rare talent in a thousand years. To be honest, I thought the old guy must be drunk at the time. But when I watched your game live for the first time, I realized that the old guy was right. And when I walked in and watched your game, I felt that both of us old guys were wrong."
"You are not a genius that appears once in a thousand years, you are a genius that appears once in ten thousand years."
“Gu, you are amazing. I bet that as long as you take the right path, you will become a world-class star in the future!”
Holy shit…
These words are really well said.
He is truly a legend in southern football.
If any other 17-year-old passionate boy heard these words, he would probably ask to sign a contract with Southampton Club on the spot!
but……
I am a reborn person! Moreover, ever since Anne Hathaway praised me, no one in the world can make me feel proud.
Gu Ran was very excited and said with a very real feeling: "Thank you Mr. Rice for the compliment! Oh my God! It's a once-in-a-millennium opportunity? World-class? I never dared to imagine it!"
Let's act together! Life is like a play!
Especially when it comes to such extreme tension, acting skills are even more needed! Only on the court and in bed can you be your true self...
Then old Rice continued, "Gu, your talent is not only in your performance on the field, but also in the fact that you have never received formal youth football training. You have to know that in the UK, and even in Europe, all professional clubs value [professional training] very much. Professional youth training is professional training, because that is the beginning of professionalism."
"You can look at Manchester United's Class of 92, you can look at Barcelona's La Masia, you can look at the two hottest stars right now, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, you can look at all the famous stars - I dare say that 99.99% of them came up step by step from professional youth training."
“And you don’t have that process.”
"You are simply born out of nowhere. You have not received any professional youth training, but you are able to surpass professional youth training players. This is your genius, and this is why I say you are a genius picked out of a million."
Old Rice has a clear mind and his analysis is very thorough.
Gu Ran’s current shortcomings are not in physical fitness or technology, but in experience.
一个高中生，在一个月之前，才加入了业余高中校队，就算表现的再好，也不是从职业化青训一步步走上来的。
就凭这一点，想要直接去豪门俱乐部，就基本上不可能。
“所以，”老莱斯继续道：“对于你来说，你目前最正确的路，就是把职业化青训这个缺失的经历补上，这样，你才能走向世界之巅。”
“要补上职业化青训，最简单的办法，就是去职业俱乐部的青训梯队里训练，然后提升到一线队。”
“但是，还有另外一种办法——”
老莱斯故意停顿了一下，想要吊足顾然的胃口。
顾然也配合的表现出渴望答案的懵懂少年样子来，“什么？莱斯先生？”
老莱斯笑道：“那就是，直接在低级联赛的一线队里出场比赛！这种路子，比在大俱乐部的青训队里训练要好的多，因为，十场训练都抵不过一场职业比赛涨球涨的快！顾，你现在是最好的年纪，也是最好的涨球期，我建议你一定不要去青训队，而应该在低级联赛里历练！”
嗯，接近正题了。
不过这么聊下去，实在太慢了，我能忍，我的安妮也不能忍啊。
我还是推一把吧。
顾然叹了口气，为难的道：“一线队……可惜，我没有劳工证呐。”
“哈哈哈！”老莱斯顿时得意的笑了起来，满脸都是一切尽在我掌握的样子。
“顾，说到劳工证，是的，那玩意确实有些操蛋。”老莱斯面不改色心不跳的道：“但我要说的是，我们南安普顿俱乐部，可以为你解决这个问题。如果你愿意披上我们圣徒的红白战袍，我们就能为你激活天才条款，然后帮你争取到劳工证，让你能踢上职业联赛！”
这张饼画的比较实在……
劳工证，的确是作为中国人进入英国职业联赛的头等大问题。
不过，就像卡特教练之前所说的那样，当你足够牛逼的时候，自会有人主动站出来帮你逢山开路遇水搭桥！ 就是因为你够牛逼，你的价值值得他们那样做！ 能拿到劳工证，直接以一线队的身份出场，确实比在大球队的青年队里不能出场只能训练要好的多！
老莱斯指的这条路，虽然充满了画饼技巧，但大致方向跟顾然心里不谋而合。
从低级联赛起步，从小俱乐部起步，一路平推过去，从低到高碾碎所有敌人，这特么才够劲儿！ 老子就喜欢够劲儿的！ 不过……还不能急。
这其实是一场博弈，而且现在不是老子哭着喊着要你们帮老子搞定劳工证，也不是老子哭着喊着要加盟南安普顿，外面还有个切尔西兜底呢！ 前面这些屁话都是在画饼，实际待遇还一条都没谈呢！ 跟老莱斯这种老家伙过招，必须沉得住气！
顾然随即真实感十足的、一脸懵懂的道：“办劳工证一定很麻烦吧？”
老莱斯当即道：“那可不！顾，我跟你讲，你也就是遇到了我，遇到了南安普顿俱乐部！换做任何其他俱乐部，都不会像南安普顿俱乐部这样倾尽全力去帮你争取，别看那些小俱乐部的球探吹的天花乱坠，他们都做不了主的，他们要把你的情况上报上去，等他们的决策层研究完，新赛季都开始！”
“而我们南安普顿俱乐部却不一样，我们是直接从决策层来做决定的，而且，刚才卡特教练也给你介绍了，我还有一个身份是英足总的委员，我能在审核劳工证的听证会上使上劲儿！当然了，这也的确需要耗费大量的人力物力，英足总委员间的关系也很复杂，想要打通也非常难。”
老莱斯的言下之意是，如果连我做不到，别人肯定也做不到，整个南安普顿俱乐部都诚意很足。
顾然当即道：“这么麻烦，这么辛苦啊……要不，算了？”
老莱斯：？？？
卡特：？？？ 阿德金斯：……
作为画饼大师的老莱斯懵逼了！
嘴巴都说干了，顾然突然来了一句“要不算了”？ 这这这……小子，你怎么不按套路出牌啊！ 就见顾然耸了耸道：“我其实也可以加入大一点的俱乐部的青训队，然后租借到不需要劳工证的欧洲小俱乐部踢球的。”
老莱斯张了张嘴，“……呃，这，啊，嗯，哦，是的——这也是个办法。但是，欧洲的小俱乐部，水准怎么可能比得上英国的职业联赛呢？再说了，我们南安普顿俱乐部，是真心想要得到你啊！”
此话一出，老莱斯立刻意识到：坏了……我怎么先表白了？
好吧！那就不用藏着掖着了！ 老莱斯索性摊牌了，“顾！我们南安普顿俱乐部非常看中你！我们想要得到像你这样的天才球员！为了你，我们整个南安普顿俱乐部都会全力以赴！我们不怕任何辛苦和麻烦，只要你能加盟南安普顿俱乐部，我们可以满足你一切合理的条件！”
卧槽……
老莱斯你早点亮明这个态度，这不就结了嘛！ 先拿捏住再说——
顾然点了点头，懵懂的问道：“这样啊……南安普顿俱乐部，是英甲级的球队吧？”
老莱斯连忙介绍道：“对，现在我们在英甲级的中游，但是，我们整个俱乐部的水平，绝对不是低级联赛的水平，南安普顿俱乐部是英国现代足球创立最早的俱乐部之一，我们俱乐部创立于1885年，比很多现在所谓的豪门俱乐部创立的时间都早。我们是甲级联赛的创始球队，也是英超联赛的创始球队，我们历史上的战绩虽然只拿过一次顶级联赛的亚军和一次足总杯的冠军，但我们绝对配得上英超劲旅的名号。”
“现在我们之所以在英甲，那是因为08年财政危机，导致俱乐部人心惶惶无心比赛，从英超降级到英冠，又从英冠降级到英甲。”
“但好在这场危机现在已经过去了，现在的南安普顿俱乐部的财政很健康，新的老板是利勃海尔集团的卡特琳娜小姐，有机会的话，我会介绍你们认识。”
“我们拥有全英超俱乐部中最顶级的训练场斯泰普伍德训练基地，我们也拥有非常完整和充沛的青训储备，我们的好球员很多，只要调整好，这些球员就能跟你一起，冲击英冠、重回英超！”
说到这里，老莱斯不无激动的道：“顾，相信我，你的起点应该在我们南安普顿！就像泰坦尼克号的起点在南安普顿一样！你会在这里扬帆起航！驶向巅峰！”
卧槽……
老莱斯你这个比喻……
泰坦尼克号那是驶向巅峰吗？
那是撞向巅峰，沉入海底啊！
顾然顿时有些哭笑不得。
不过，顾然倒是可以理解老莱斯的心情，毕竟，南安普顿人对于他们是泰坦尼克号的起点这件事还是非常骄傲的。
至于泰坦尼克号沉不沉的，当然跟南安普顿人没什么关系，反正是从这里出发的。
这个时候，旁边的卡特教练也说道：“顾，老莱斯说了那么多了，你也听我说两句吧。”
顾然立刻道：“好的，教练。”
卡特教练清了清嗓子，“作为一个土生土长的南安普顿人，我肯定是推荐你去南安普顿俱乐部的。当然了，这其中是有一大部分私心的，毕竟，谁不希望天才球员能留在自己支持的球队里呢？但是，我必须要说的是，南安普顿俱乐部真的很适合你，无论从任何方面来说。”
“这次，其他小俱乐部出动的都是球探，而南安普顿俱乐部出动的是七位顶级决策高层，就冲这一点，他们就是诚意满满的。”
“劳工证问题，有老莱斯在，你基本上不用操心，把困难的杂事交给他们去解决，你只需要专心踢球就好。”
“刚才老莱斯也说了，你缺乏科班出身的青训经历——这并不是说你不好，而是根据实际情况来分析，如果你一心想去大俱乐部球队的话，你的这种缺乏职业青训的短板，会让你在大俱乐部里找不到自己的位置，别说出场了，恐怕训练时都只能帮别人捡球。”
"So, I really hope you start with Southampton and use your experience in the lower leagues to make up for your lack of professional youth training. This is definitely the best way."
Gu Ran nodded slightly.
Coach Carter's words are indeed very convincing.
Moreover, Gu Ran’s own rating system does need to play in the professional league in order to be upgraded faster and better.
But... speaking of it now, we haven't entered the actual stage yet.
I want to be practical! I want to know what you can give me! Gu Ran took the initiative to ask: "So, if I join Southampton, what kind of contract can I get?"
(End of this chapter)