As the training ground at Newton Heath was still being set up and the Droylsden players were on vacation, David Pace temporarily lent the Butcher's Arms Stadium to New Manchester United for training.
They were a group of players who had just come together, and it was already mid-June, so it was naturally impossible to let them take a holiday.
The taxi turned into Market Street, and cheers could be heard coming from the stadium from afar.
"Will many fans come to watch the team training?" Ethan asked Jim, who was driving.
Jim nodded. "Of course, this is also a way to support the team. But from what I heard, it seems there are more people today. Could it be they are here to see Steve?"
Since Jim had now become New Manchester United's official driver, he was very familiar with several people in the team, especially the legendary central defender Steve Bruce.
The taxi stopped in the parking lot outside the stadium. Not only did Ethan and Jorge with Messi get out, but Jim also got out.
"Hey, Jim, don't you have to go to work?" Ethan asked curiously.
It would have been fine if he had not said it, but as soon as he did, someone called and asked for a taxi.
"Uh... no, I am waiting for a regular customer on Market Street. Yes, a very familiar regular customer. I have to wait for him. Why don't I let him find someone else?" Jim lied smoothly and got away with it.
He left the car, locked the door, and walked up to the stunned Ethan. He chuckled and said, "They're screaming so happily, it must be very intense. I have to go and see it, don't you think?"
This made Ethan and Jorge smile. This guy really was...
However, when Ethan passed by the stadium's security room, he found that the diligent and responsible old security guard had also left his post. This struck him as odd, so he quickened his pace and headed to the training ground.
"Oh my God, look, who is that?" Jim widened his eyes and stared at the pitch in disbelief.
"And over there, look, isn't that Roy Keane, who is recovering from injury? How come he and Giggs are here?"
Ethan saw it too.
That's right, it was indeed Ryan Giggs, not his brother Rhodri Giggs, and the person Jim was pointing at was none other than Manchester United's current captain Roy Keane.
How could two superstars be here?
"Ryan Giggs... Roy Keane..." Messi also stared blankly at the two players running on the field. These two familiar names had long inspired his admiration, and now they appeared before him in the flesh.
"Hey, Carl, push forward a little, do not let up, and keep pestering that bastard!" Although it was just a training match, the atmosphere in the stadium was very heated, especially with the central defender Steve Bruce, who kept instructing Carl Makinson, stationed in front of him as the main defensive midfielder.
"Hold on, Carl. Do not dive in easily. Remember, you are the defensive midfielder, a wall in front of the defense. You know what a wall is? Have you ever seen a wall move out of position so easily?"
Even with Steve Bruce's warning, Carl Makinson, facing Giggs one-on-one, was still deceived by Giggs's feint. Giggs broke through easily, then took a long shot before Bruce could get to him, and it flew into the goal.
"Beautiful, Giggs!" A sudden cheer erupted from the stands.
Although it was just an internal training match, the stands were already packed with fans. It was hard to tell whether they had heard about this or whether they came to every session. Either way, the small Butcher's Arms Stadium was full.
"Oh my God, I am lucky. If I had not told you, I had to hurry to the stands to get a good seat!" Jim dashed off, leaving Ethan behind.
Since it was a training match, play paused briefly after Giggs scored, and Bruce called Carl Makinson over.
"Hey, Carl, you're tall and strong. How can you try to be as nimble as him?
You're no match for him in a sprint, understand? You need to stay steady. Your legs are longer than his, and your arms are stronger. Just hold your ground, do not make rash moves, and do not let him fool you. If that does not work, then be ruthless and bring him down, or even knock him over!"
Bruce sounded like a gang boss rousing his underlings to commit crimes, barking instructions with exaggerated gestures.
"Hey, Steve, is there anyone like you? I have just recovered and Ryan is on holiday and not in top condition. If you get us hurt again, the old man will definitely come after you!" Roy Keane roared when he heard this.
But everyone could tell they were joking.
"Do not mind him, Carl. Be more aggressive and stop being so timid!" Bruce ignored Keane's protest, then patted Carl Makinson on the back and sent him back to his position.
Ethan stood on the touchline and noticed that Curtis Davies was partnering Steve Bruce at centre-back, Evra was at left forward, the right forward was Darren Lyons, the striker was Jonathan Maten, and the defensive midfielder was Carl Makinson.
The team led by Keane and Ryan Giggs had Rhodri as striker, Stephen Smith and Keane in midfield, and Kevin Ewenki at centre-back.
Perhaps because he had just recovered from a serious injury, Keane did not push too far forward. Instead, he dropped into the defensive midfield position to distribute the ball, while the Giggs brothers were given absolute freedom up front.
After conceding, Bruce's team kicked off. The ball was exchanged two or three times between the defensive midfielder and the defenders, and finally reached Evra.
Stephen Smith pressed up, trying to win it off Evra, but Evra laid it back to Makinson and suddenly burst forward.
Makinson played a diagonal pass, and a neat one-two looked about to be completed, but Keane suddenly arrived from the side with a fierce sliding tackle, stealing the ball before Evra.
"Kid, you are very fast, but speed alone is useless. Your intention was too obvious. If you had just gone past him then, it would have created a very good chance." Keane stood up and patted Evra on the shoulder.
As Keane walked back to his position and passed Smith, he gave the 25-year-old midfielder a stern look. "As Steve just said, the defensive midfielder is vital to the team. The way you went in just now was a problem. Either clean him out decisively, or hold your ground. You were too hesitant."
Smith was scolded by Keane, but he did not dare to argue. He nodded, though how much he absorbed was unclear.
Ethan watched from the sidelines for a while and finally figured it out. These two Manchester United stars were here as assistant coaches.
"You're back!" Walsh, standing in front of the office, had been focused on the pitch. He only noticed when Ethan came to his side.
Ethan introduced Jorge and his son to him, then pointed at Curtis Davies on the pitch and asked, "Why is this kid playing too?"
"There is a shortage of centre-backs, so Bruce let him play. It is a training match, it is fine!" Walsh said with a smile.
Ethan nodded and looked back at the pitch. He found that Bruce often used stoppages to communicate with Curtis. It was mostly defensive tips and experience, clearly guiding him on how to become an excellent central defender.
Ethan suddenly thought that if Curtis's parents agreed to let him stay in Manchester and Bruce became the head coach of New Manchester United, then under Bruce's training this kid might achieve even greater success than in later years.
Walsh seemed to notice the way Ethan was looking at Curtis. He smiled and said, "You have a good eye. Bruce praises this kid highly. He has first-class physical attributes, he is fast, and his movements are agile and decisive. It is just that his defensive awareness and decision-making are a bit raw. Bruce said he has the potential to become one of the best defenders in England, even in Europe."
"So you agree with my idea of forming a youth team?" Ethan said with a smile.
Walsh said nothing, but patted Ethan's shoulder, which counted as agreement.
Messi stood nearby, eyes fixed on the players, especially Giggs. He was clearly admiring Giggs's technique. After all, they were the same type of player.
"How is it? Seeing Giggs play in person, he must be very strong, right?" Ethan asked with a smile.
"Yes, it feels more real than watching on TV. It is amazing. The feints are more convincing and faster!" Messi was shocked. He had learned some English in Argentina, but he was not very fluent.
"Yeah, I did not expect to see these big-name stars as soon as we arrived in Manchester!" Jorge was also a little surprised.
Ethan looked at Messi with expectation. "I think you should not only take Giggs as your goal. You should surpass him. Believe me, Messi, you will become an even more outstanding talent than Giggs."
Walsh was surprised when he heard Ethan's words. Ethan's loyalty to Manchester United made him know that Ethan would not say such things lightly. The only explanation was that this unremarkable short boy in front of him really had even greater football talent than Giggs.
New Manchester United had selected 17 players from the trials, plus Evra, as well as Bruce, Keane, Ryan Giggs, and Curtis, making a total of 22 people, enough to form two teams for a scrimmage.
Since these were just training matches for an amateur side, even with 13-year-old Curtis playing, Keane and the others did not think it was a big deal. In fact, they found it interesting.
When Curtis played at centre-back, Bruce would often, intentionally or not, let him step up to contest the first ball, or push up to win it, then cover him from behind. From time to time he would also give him pointers on his movements and his timing.
As the saying goes, having an elder is like having a treasure at home. Ethan could not help but sigh. The careful guidance of an experienced veteran truly accelerated a young player's progress.
As for Evra, he was placed at left back. He was not without standout qualities. His most prominent traits were his speed and physicality, which allowed him to shuttle up and down the left flank with ease.
"It seems this future star is still very young, but that is only natural. If Evra already had the ability he will show at Manchester United in a few years, Paris Saint-Germain would be fools not to want him."
A star player is not made in a day.
(To be continued.)
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