Mike's intentions were already perfectly clear, and with that, Leo Lin had no reason to refuse.
The club therefore scheduled a Wall of Champions unveiling ceremony for Leo Lin the following day. First-team players, coaches, and young prospects from Liverpool's new training base were all invited to attend. Liverpool would also livestream the event, recording the moment Leo Lin's championship jersey was officially mounted on the Wall of Champions.
Once the news was announced, the vast majority of Liverpool fans voiced their support. Mike had initially worried there might be some opposition, but he soon realized that despite Leo Lin's relatively short time with the first team, he had already earned the affection of many supporters. After his U17 championship triumph, Liverpool fans were even more convinced that he would become an important part of the club's future.
The academy youngsters were especially excited when they heard the news. This Wall of Champions ceremony meant they would finally be able to see Leo Lin up close. They could even take photos with his jersey—after all, they hadn't missed a single match of the U17 World Cup. Leo Lin's dominant and almost frightening performances in that tournament had left an incredibly deep impression on them.
With the event confirmed, all Liverpool first-team players arrived at the Wall of Champions early the next morning, fully prepared.
Salah watched with envy, while Firmino kept looking for an opportunity—hoping to swap Leo Lin's jersey with his own while the staff weren't paying attention.
It was the first time the academy youngsters had ever seen so many first-team stars gathered together at the training base. With permission from the youth coaches, they eagerly rushed to take photos with the senior players.
The livestream was already up and running, the camera gliding past the many legendary jerseys hanging along both sides of the wall.
"Just look at these legendary shirts. Seeing them feels like reliving all those classic matches again!"
"So many of Gerrard's jerseys! I remember this one—2004, when his long-range strike helped Liverpool break out of the Champions League group stage!"
"That one looks like the shirt from his Premier League debut, and that's the one he wore when he scored his 50th Premier League goal!"
"All I can say is, don't let me get the chance. If I ever step into the Legend Corridor, I'm looting the place!"
"I heard a lot of big names have tried to buy jerseys from this wall, but Liverpool has never sold a single one. These are priceless treasures!"
Then, the star of the day finally made his entrance.
Holding his U17 World Cup championship jersey, Leo Lin officially stepped into the Legend Corridor.
All the academy youngsters around him froze, staring at Leo Lin with pure admiration in their eyes.
Klopp applauded as well. He never imagined that his own dream—to one day leave something of himself on this wall—would be accomplished first by someone as young as Leo Lin.
"Here we go—the highlight of the day. Leo Lin's championship jersey joins the Wall of Champions!"
"I wonder where Liverpool will place his shirt. Will it be next to Gerrard's?"
Under the eager gazes of countless fans, Leo Lin's U17 World Cup–winning jersey was ultimately placed right beside Steven Gerrard's shirt from the Miracle of Istanbul.
The fans were stunned. Even Leo Lin himself hadn't expected Mike to reserve such a position for him.
Mike then invited Leo Lin to say a few words. Looking at his jersey hanging on the radiant, golden-lit Wall of Champions, Leo Lin felt deeply moved—not exactly happy, but overwhelmed by an emotion he couldn't quite put into words.
"First of all, I want to pay tribute to the many football legends in Liverpool's history—Hyypiä, Gerrard, Riise, Dalglish, and so many other Liverpool greats who aren't on this wall, including the coaches. Every one of them deserves the respect of all Liverpool fans."
"Because I'm still young, I haven't watched many of Liverpool's earlier matches. Most of my impressions come from the club's performances over the past few decades."
"To be honest, our start in the Premier League wasn't great, for many different reasons. But now I can feel that Liverpool's leadership, with Mike at the core, has set very clear goals."
"We want to win the Premier League title. We want to make Liverpool's Premier League history even more glorious."
"Today, my jersey is on this wall because of my performances with the Spain U17 national team. But in the future, I hope my jersey can be hung here again—this time because of what I achieve at Liverpool. I have absolute confidence in myself."
"Finally, I want to thank Liverpool Football Club for giving me this opportunity to step onto the Wall of Champions."
As soon as Leo Lin finished speaking, the crowd erupted into applause. The academy youngsters, who had been waiting impatiently, swarmed forward, competing to take photos with him.
Some of the club legends following the livestream couldn't help but comment.
"I think putting Leo Lin on the Wall of Champions is a very smart decision—but why is my jersey behind Gerrard's?"
"Move mine forward a bit! Damn it, it took me this long to realize that Gerrard secretly swapped his shirt with mine!"
"What's going on—where's my Carragher jersey?"
"I only have one shirt on the Wall of Champions. Who put it way over in the corner? That was definitely you, Hyypiä!"
After the ceremony ended, everyone gradually left. Late at night, when everything was quiet, Leo Lin returned alone to the Legend Corridor. He wanted to take it all in by himself.
Staring at the jerseys of these legendary players, he recalled the matches each shirt represented. It was precisely these pivotal games that had shaped Liverpool's glorious history. When people thought of a club's past, they always remembered its most iconic matches first.
The Miracle of Istanbul was just one of them. Liverpool had many other landmark matches as well, though most dated back to the First Division era. During the Premier League years, Liverpool rarely struck fear into other clubs—until this season, when they finally began showing real strength in the league.
Liverpool fans dreamed of a league title, but with Manchester City bringing in Guardiola, the road became even tougher—especially with the massive transfer budget City placed at his disposal. Guardiola was unquestionably one of the best managers in the world at commanding a footballing "aircraft carrier," and doing so well was a skill in itself. Combined with his already brilliant league-winning record, Liverpool fans knew exactly how difficult it would be to take the title from him.
After walking the entire Legend Corridor alone, Leo Lin stepped outside, pulling his coat tighter around himself. He didn't go home. Instead, he headed for the training ground.
At that moment, Leo Lin reinforced an already unshakable resolve.
As the sound of the ball echoed across the pitch, he began to feel the stillness of the night sky and the faint breeze moving through the darkness. From a very young age, Leo Lin had loved practicing alone on empty fields at night. After school ended and everyone left, the pitch became his own battlefield—his own sanctuary.
Every shot taken in the darkness reminded him of the pure joy of football.
Only then did Leo Lin realize that since stepping into professional football, he had been focused on structured training, improving his abilities, and completing system tasks for rewards. Little by little, he had forgotten where the joy of football truly came from. That was why, earlier in the day, seeing his jersey on the Wall of Champions hadn't made him particularly happy.
But now—this feeling of playing alone in the darkness, under a sky full of stars—this was the very reason he had fallen in love with football in the first place.
The more he played, the more relaxed he became. Not only did he not feel tired, he wanted to stay out there longer, enjoying every moment beneath the night sky.
Across the vast Liverpool complex, all the lights were off. The staff had gone home. Only Leo Lin remained, alone on the unlit training pitch, relying on the faint glow spilling over from the streetlights beyond the fence. His football had no technique to speak of—but it was wild, free, and full of joy.
After burning through nearly all the energy in his body, Leo Lin finally lay back on the grass, letting the ball slowly roll to his legs.
Staring up at the star-filled sky, he closed his eyes and smiled.
He felt happy—because now he knew for certain that he was still that young, green boy who could go crazy for football.
...
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