"Live from the Grimaldi Forum, history is made! Nineteen-year-old Jeremy Ling receives the highest individual honor of his career, breaking the four-year monopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi!"
"Following Franck Ribéry in 2013, another player has finally emerged from the shadow of the two superstars. Looking back at Ling's past year, it has simply been brilliant. The last-minute winner in the North West Derby, the stellar performance in the title decider..."
"He broke the Premier League single-season scoring record, leaving Mo Salah and Harry Kane with over 30 goals each but no Golden Boot! And let us not forget his three goals in the Champions League final, making him only the fourth player in the competition's 62-year history to achieve a hat-trick in the ultimate match!"
Inside the Grimaldi Forum, thunderous applause echoed endlessly.
In truth, most people had already anticipated that this year's UEFA Men's Player of the Year award would go to Ling.
He had won both the Premier League and the Champions League—the most prestigious domestic and European titles.
Ling fastened his suit button, shook hands with Salah, Paul Pogba, and others nearby, took a deep breath, and walked toward the podium.
His feelings at this moment were beyond description.
He honestly hadn't expected to win this overall award; he thought winning UEFA Best Forward would already be quite an achievement.
When Čeferin announced that Ronaldo had won Best Forward, Ling felt somewhat disappointed—until he immediately heard his own name called for the main prize.
In the front row, Messi felt slightly displeased.
After all, he had won La Liga—surely that should have placed him in the top three?
But then Messi remembered something: Ling was actually last season's true European Golden Shoe winner, even though Adidas hadn't held the official ceremony yet.
Messi had scored 34 goals in La Liga (68 points), while Ling had scored 38 goals in the Premier League (76 points).
Watching Ling under the spotlight, Messi actually felt a twinge of envy.
There was a time when he was the brightest young star in the world.
He turned his attention to the Champions League draw results, secretly hoping to face Man United in the knockout stages.
Under the intense gaze of everyone present, Ling received the trophy, feeling its substantial weight in his hands.
Even with his immense talent, he had still invested countless hours of sweat and hard work.
Now, his persistence had finally been rewarded.
He couldn't help but dream about the future.
With no World Cup or European Championship next year, could he win the Ballon d'Or too?
Then, he looked down at the trophy and almost couldn't suppress a laugh.
Fans jokingly called the UEFA Best Player Award the "Silver Pants Award" because it resembled the lower half of a silver torso wearing trousers.
Although informal, the nickname had become a unique cultural joke in the football world.
The host, Kaká, thoughtfully gave Ling time to collect his thoughts before asking.
"Jeremy, I think everyone has many questions for you. How do you feel standing here as the Player of the Year?"
The venue immediately fell silent out of respect.
"For me, this is an unbelievable moment. I feel immensely proud and honored!" Ling began, abandoning his prepared speech to improvise from the heart.
"I want to thank those who voted for me, my teammates and coaches at Man United, my agent Jorge Mendes, and my family and fans! Whether at my peaks or in my valleys, they have always been by my side. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far. This trophy belongs to them as well."
He had much more he wanted to say, but it would take hours, so he kept the rest hidden in his heart.
The audience erupted into warm applause.
In the crowd, Jose Mourinho turned to Pep Guardiola and sighed.
"You have no idea. When he first joined the senior team, he would do extra training with Zlatan every morning, review match footage with me at noon, practice long passes with Michael Carrick in the afternoon, and still attend school in the evening. Sometimes I wonder how he endured such a monotonous life with no entertainment. I'm glad he's finally enjoying life outside of football. He's only 19."
Mourinho, who had witnessed Ling's rise, felt both pride and a hidden heartache for how hard his player worked.
He added, "Jeremy is truly an exceptional player. The kind many coaches rarely encounter in their lifetime."
Guardiola raised an eyebrow.
He definitely detected a hint of boasting.
"There's an old saying: 'Gold shines wherever it goes,'" Guardiola retorted pointedly. "No matter which coach he encountered, he would have achieved great success. It was only a matter of time."
"By the way," Mourinho said, suddenly smiling mischievously, "I heard Jeremy and Maria haven't officially defined their relationship yet?"
"Is that any of your business?" Guardiola snapped irritably.
"Of course it is! Back when we were at Barcelona, Maria often called me 'Uncle', remember?" Mourinho grinned wider.
As the person who knew Guardiola best, he knew exactly how to dance on his minefield.
Guardiola fell into a prolonged silence.
He realized Mourinho had a point.
As one of the most sought-after stars in football, Ling faced many daily temptations.
If his daughter wanted to continue seeing him, it might be better to define their relationship sooner to avoid complications.
Back on the stage, Kaká asked his final question.
"We all know you often face difficulties in matches. When you succeed, there must be someone incredibly important who motivates you the most. Could you tell us who that is?"
Ling pondered for a few seconds.
Images flashed through his mind.
2004: Dong Fangzhuo joining Manchester United, making all of Bin City proud.
2012: The collapse of Bin City Shide, leaving a football city of 8 million people in tears.
In every single memory, the same figure stood by his side: his father, Changzheng.
Ling remembered his parents arguing over his decision to play football abroad.
His father had told him countless times.
"Be a responsible person. Be persistent, be strong."
"I think that person is my father," Ling said softly into the microphone, smiling.
"He took me to my first match and brought me to my first training session. He always urged me to chase my dreams, to never give up, and to believe in myself. I owe him everything. To get me where I am today, he almost gave up everything himself."
"Congratulations to Jeremy! Let's give him another round of applause—your UEFA Men's Player of the Year!" Kaká concluded.
Finally, it was time for the group photo.
Man United dominated the stage with De Gea (Best Goalkeeper), Pogba (Best Midfielder), and Ling (Best Player).
Salah and Ramos stood side by side, though Salah quickly swapped places with Pogba to avoid the defender.
Ronaldo confidently walked to the center.
Ling stood next to him holding his trophy, while Messi stood empty-handed on Ling's other side.
Click, click, click!
Ronaldo instinctively rose onto his toes for the photo.
The camera flashes went wild.
Ling smiled warmly, his bright grin lighting up the room.
In that historic photograph, the two legendary veterans beside him almost seemed to fade into the background.
To the world, it symbolized the end of the Messi-Ronaldo era and the dawn of a brand-new age in football.
...
In a quiet residential area in Bin City, China, Changzheng's emotions surged like waves.
He hurriedly lit a cigarette to suppress his overwhelming pride.
His wife, Yan Lanxia, wiped a tear but muttered stubbornly, "Why did he only talk about you?"
But as she watched her handsome son on the screen, her heart swelled.
She quickly walked into the newly renovated "Honors Room" in their home.
Currently, it held the Premier League Golden Boot, the Young Player of the Season award and the PFA Footballer of the Year trophy.
She knew that one day, this room would be overflowing.
She gazed at an old photograph in the corner: a one-year-old Ling participating in a traditional drawing-lots ceremony.
Surrounded by books, coins, and a table tennis racket, the baby had gleefully sprawled himself over a football instead.
Yan Lanxia sighed softly.
She had missed so many crucial stages of her son's life while he was in England.
Changzheng walked in, his cigarette dangling from his lips, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't overthink it. There's a long future ahead. We'll enjoy the happiness later!"
...
Late that night, major media outlets scrambled to publish their reports.
"The First Chinese Player to Win UEFA Men's Player of the Year!"
"The Dawn of a New Era!"
"At 21, Ronaldo Became the Youngest Ballon d'Or Winner—Can Jeremy Ling Break His Record?"
@RedDevilsFan: Hope Ling can establish a new dynasty at Old Trafford!
@UtdTactics: Man United drew a favorable group in the UCL. Hope Ling uses it to break Ronaldo's single-season goal record!
@MessiGoat99: Hold off on the future fantasies. Let's see if Ling's form drops after not playing for over half a month due to his suspension.
@PumaFootball: Go Ling! Buying a pair of his signature boots to show support!
The online chatter didn't affect Ling.
He spent his three-match suspension training relentlessly, continuing his monotonous and dull routine to maintain his form.
In his absence, Manchester United had to rely on their squad depth.
In the fourth round of the Premier League, United beat Burnley 2-0.
Paul Pogba assisted Riyad Mahrez for the first, and academy graduate Mason Greenwood flicked a header onto Marcus Rashford for the second.
Fans playfully nicknamed Greenwood "The Next Ling."
Mourinho confidently told the press, "Ling is irreplaceable, but we are a mature team. We are competitive without him."
...
On September 16th, United faced Watford. Mourinho used a simple "Target Man" tactic, relentlessly crossing into the box.
Harry Maguire scored headers, and Rashford assisted Romelu Lukaku for a tap-in.
United won 2-1.
After five rounds, the Premier League standings were tight: Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool all sat at 12 points.
Tottenham had 9 points, and Man United trailed just behind them in 5th place due to goal difference.
It was a subpar start for the defending champions, but confidence was returning.
Ling's three-match ban was finally over!
...
Four days later, tens of thousands of fans flocked to Old Trafford for the start of the 2018-19 Champions League group stage.
All eyes were on Ling.
Many rivals, like Tottenham's Kieran Trippier—who had boldly claimed Harry Kane would win the Golden Boot this year—were waiting to see Ling fail.
Man United's opponent was Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Ukrainian club had suffered terribly; their Donbas Arena was bombed in 2014, forcing them into a four-year displacement.
Because of the danger, star players like Fred had refused to sign for them.
Peter Drury: "The majestic Champions League anthem resounds around Old Trafford! As Hemingway wrote, 'A man can be destroyed but not defeated.' Shakhtar Donetsk have survived displacement and war, and tonight, they face the defending Champions of Europe!"
Jim Beglin: "All eyes are on number seven today, Peter. Jeremy Ling has been caged for half a month. Let's see how sharp he is."
Ling stood at the center circle, soaking in the electrifying atmosphere.
He felt as if his body was rusting from the lack of matches.
Finally, he was back.
Shakhtar played with a resilient, physical defense, aiming to force a draw.
The first half ended 0-0, leading some commentators to question if Ling had lost his rhythm.
But the second half delivered a stunning answer.
Peter Drury: "Ling drops deep to receive the pass. He shakes off his marker... takes aim from 28 yards out..."
Jim Beglin: "He's hit that with some power!"
Peter Drury: "It crashes off Pyatov's arm and into the net! The King has returns!"
In the 67th minute, Pogba delivered a long free-kick.
Ling won the aerial duel, but his powerful header struck the crossbar.
Thankfully, Rashford pounced on the rebound and volleyed it home to make it 2-0.
In the final moments of stoppage time, Mahrez cut inside and slipped a clever pass through the defense.
Peter Drury: "Mahrez finds Ling... chest control..."
Jim Beglin: "Oh, what is he trying here?!"
Peter Drury: "AN OVERHEAD KICK! Absolutely breathtaking! He makes it 3-0! Brilliant positioning, an exquisite finish! He has been gone for half a month, but he remains Manchester United's sharpest blade!"
Ling celebrated with his trademark move—leaping high and aggressively punching the air.
Tens of thousands of fans roared in unison with every punch!
...
Four days later, Mourinho rotated the squad for the third round of the English League Cup against Derby County.
However, he kept Ling in the starting lineup to build his match fitness.
In the tunnel, Ling spotted Derby's new manager: Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.
While Lampard was an exceptional player, his managerial skills were still raw.
Derby had started poorly, and Lampard had recently been sent to the stands for arguing with officials.
Derby County tried to press high, so Man United simply bypassed the midfield with long balls.
Martin Tyler: "Maguire launches it forward... Ling bulldozes between two defenders! A drop of the shoulder, the keeper is wrong-footed... and he slots it away! 1-0 to Manchester United in just 14 minutes!"
Derby kept stubbornly attacking down the wings, leaving them totally exposed to counterattacks.
In the 67th minute, Victor Lindelöf headed a cross clear.
McTominay turned and played a through ball to Ling at the halfway line.
Facing two defenders, Ling feinted left, darted right, and floated a beautiful cross to the advancing Mahrez.
Mahrez cut inside and curled it into the net.
At 3-1, Mourinho subbed Ling off for Greenwood to protect his star player.
United comfortably advanced to the Round of 16.
Their next challenge would be in three days against West Ham United in the Premier League.
West Ham featured a highly talented young defensive midfielder named Declan Rice.
Rice and Ling had been rivals since their youth academy days, but while Rice was just making a name for himself, Ling was already the Best Player in Europe.
Rice was anxious but ready—he wanted to see just how strong Ling truly was!