The media would continue to hype up Tang En's rejection of the royal award, but Tang En had no time to care. But Tang En had no time to care. The most intensive schedule had already begun. If he and the players still wanted to have a happy Christmas holiday, then they could not lose too much during this period.
Since taking office, Tang En had focused on defense and stamina the most. McAllister had neglected his stamina in the summer preparations and had been obsessed with his rich and varied offensive routines. To avoid a complete collapse in the second half of the league tournament, Tang En could only help him make up for what he had not done. This was also the reason why Tang En insisted on using the simplest way to compete. He really did not have the time or energy to play those fancy tricks to please the audience.
Ever since Sophia's death, Tang En had been very concerned about Wood's mental state. Looking at the past few weeks, Wood did not sink into depression because of his mother's death. He also did not mention anything about "retiring."
Perhaps it was one of Shania's songs that had an effect … Tang En thought.
It was just that Wood was more diligent, more serious, and more desperate than before in training. He was using this method to try his best to forget the pain of losing his mother. Tang En could not do anything about it. Time was the best medicine for wounds. He believed that with the passage of time, he would eventually walk out of that kind of emotion. Of course, he could not do anything about it.
"Hey, George." During a break in training, Tang En called Wood over.
Wood thought Tang En was going to tell him about the arrangements for the match the day after tomorrow. He did not expect Tang En to invite him to his house for dinner. "Asking Shania to cook for you … What's with that expression? She's already trained up her culinary skills. Alright, alright, I'll cook personally. Actually, it's Teresa who misses her Brother Wood. Can you bear to let a beautiful and cute girl be sad? "
Wood hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Tang En looked at Wood's back as he left and gently shook his head. This was the only thing he could do for Wood. The thought of him locking himself in that dark, cold, and lifeless home after training made Tang En uncomfortable. It was as if it was not Wood's home, but a gloomy, run-down, ghost castle filled with ghost legends.
If not for Wood's refusal, he even planned to bring Wood to his own home and simply live with him. After all, there was still some "popularity" in his own home.
※ ※ ※
"Alright, guys. Today's training ended here. Let me remind you again, the busiest days will begin from the day after tomorrow. If you don't want to spend Christmas in the English Football League Championship next season, then work hard. The first goal … "Tang En raised his right index finger." is to get out of the relegation zone. Always lingering outside the relegation zone puts a lot of pressure on me. That's it. Dismiss. "
The players left the training ground one after another. Tang En called out to Wood.
"You're not coming with me?"
Wood pointed at his sweaty training uniform. "I'm going home to change and take a shower."
Tang En looked at him. "George, are you really not going to consider my suggestion? Why don't you move in with us? "
Wood shook his head. "No. That's my home. "
Tang En sighed helplessly. "Alright, it's up to you. We'll wait for you at home. Also, you can come whenever you want. "
"Thank you." Wood did not turn around and leave. Instead, he thanked him, which surprised Tang En a little. He thought that with his friendship with Wood, as well as Wood's awkward temper, he would not be able to hear this "thank you."
It seemed … he had matured a little.
Tang En pinched his chin and smacked his lips.
※ ※ ※
Teresa was excited to know that her brother Wood was coming. After hearing the news, she sat upright in the living room and waited. Tang En and Shania busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous dinner.
However, by the time they finished preparing all the dishes, Wood had not arrived.
"It's just a shower and a change of clothes. It shouldn't take that long …" Tang En looked at his watch. It was already 8: 30 in the evening. The team's training would have ended before seven.
"Does George have a car?" Shania asked.
"No."
"He won't walk over, will he?"
Tang En was shocked by his wife's idea. "Walk over from Wilford? Don't joke, dear. He's not a fool. "
"Then he must have met with some trouble …" Shania murmured as she propped her chin up with one hand and looked up at the ceiling.
"What trouble can he meet with? It's good enough that he doesn't cause trouble for others … "Tang En also muttered. However, he was uncertain. Could it be that Wood suddenly did not want to come after seeing his mother's photo and decided to stay at home to accompany his mother? That was very possible … But he should have given him a call to explain.
Just as the two of them were letting their imaginations run wild, the doorbell outside rang.
"Brother Wood!" Teresa jumped off the sofa and went to open the door. Tang En and Shania looked at each other. It seemed that their guest had arrived.
"Brother Wood …" Teresa, who was tiptoeing to open the courtyard door, looked at the two people at the door with a puzzled expression.
"Hello, Teresa." George Wood, who was wearing a suit, greeted Teresa, who was standing at the door looking up at him and the person behind him.
"Hello, Teresa." The person behind him also waved at Teresa.
Tang En, who was still wearing an apron, and his assistant, Shania, came out of the house. When they saw Wood standing outside the courtyard, and behind him … Vivian, they were also shocked.
"Hello, Mr. Tang En, Ms. Tang En." Vivian went around to the front of Wood and waved to greet the Tang couple.
Seeing the surprised expressions on Tang En and Shania's faces, Wood pointed to Vivian who was standing next to him and said, "I didn't ask her to come. She insisted on coming."
"I wanted to find George for dinner, but he said that you guys invited him, so I followed. I hope I didn't disturb you," Vivian said politely to the two hosts.
After seeing the behavior of the two people, Tang En understood everything. So, his expression immediately changed. He welcomed the two people in with a smile and said, "How did you disturb us? We can't be happier … You know, George never brings friends to our house, especially … "He glanced at Wood," female friends. "
Shania also understood what was going on and quickly expressed her welcome. She patted Teresa's head and said, "Teresa, lead the way for Brother Wood and Sister Vivian."
Teresa looked back at the two people step by step and led them into the house.
Tang En and Shania deliberately lagged behind.
"It's the nurse who took care of Sophia in the hospital until she passed away." Tang En said to Shania, "You should have seen her at the funeral."
"Yes, she was still standing behind Wood at that time … When did they get together?" Shania also asked in a low voice.
Tang En grinned and laughed silently, "Looks like our blockhead has met a difficult character!"
"I think it's quite good. The best way to forget a period of pain is to start a new relationship. "Shania held Twain's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "Sister Sophia will be very happy too."
※ ※ ※
During dinner, the focus of the conversation was focused on Vivian, as if she was the person invited by Tang En's family, and Wood was just a foil.
Shania kept talking to Vivian, asking her about her work, asking about her recent situation, and even indirectly asking her when she and Wood had progressed to the point where they could have dinner together …
Wood sat there like a block of wood.
Vivian, on the other hand, appeared very natural and generous. She did not show the slightest bit of nervousness in the face of a legendary manager who had just caused a huge debate in England and a Hollywood movie star cum supermodel. This was somewhat similar to how she had behaved when she stopped Wood at the hospital.
Tang En did not chat with Vivian like his wife, only occasionally saying a few words. The rest of the time, he was observing Wood and Vivian. He noticed that Vivian kept glancing at Wood, intentionally or unintentionally, while Wood focused on eating his food without looking sideways.
How interesting.
"As George's friend, he must be a headache for you, right?" Tang En interrupted and asked. He knew that it was not easy to get along with George. It turned out that he and Shania were the only ones who could get along with Wood peacefully. Because outsiders had no idea how they had offended Wood. He had a body as strong as an ox, but a heart as delicate as a woman's.
Speaking of this, Vivian was a little embarrassed. She looked at the indifferent Wood next to her, then smiled and said, "Actually … I'm the one who gives George a headache …"
Tang En and Shania were both shocked. Oh my god! There was actually someone in this world who could give Wood a headache?
Looking at the surprised gazes of the two hosts, Vivian further explained, "I can feel that sometimes George is very angry with me, but he won't scold me or chase me away or anything … But I think he must have a headache."
At this time, Wood, who had been silent at the side like a wooden statue, also spoke up, "She's right, I have a headache."
Tang En laughed, and then Shania also laughed with her husband.
Teresa looked at her parents curiously. Although she did not understand what had happened, since her parents were laughing, then she should also laugh …
At the dining table, only Wood and Vivian were wondering why Tang En and his family suddenly laughed.
Tang En finally stopped laughing, then looked at Wood and said, "George, oh George. I'm so happy that there's finally someone who can control you again, haha! "
Vivian did not understand why she had made Wood angry, nor did she get scolded. However, Tang En knew very well that Vivian was the only person who had accompanied Wood's mother through the last part of her life. In the last two days of Sophia's coma, it was this young nurse who had been by her bedside. In Wood's view, this was a great favor. Of course, he would not curse or be rough with the benefactor who had accompanied his mother and sent her on her last journey.
But Wood definitely did not like Vivian controlling him, so he could only feel helpless and have a headache.
Shania also understood the logic behind this, so she was also laughing. The number of people in this world who could make Wood suffer could be counted on two fingers, and coincidentally, they were all at the dining table today. She turned to look at her husband and found that he was looking at the two people opposite him with a playful gaze.
What did he see?
George's future?
Vivian was a little embarrassed by Tang En's words, and Wood was even more embarrassed.
After dinner, Wood said his goodbyes. He did not want to be treated as a joke by others. But Tang En did not want to let him go just like that.
"It's Christmas in a little more than two weeks, George. Come to our house for Christmas then. Shania has to go to work again. You can't possibly bear to let Teresa and me spend a lonely Christmas alone, can you? "Tang En was really good at finding excuses. Once he used the cute Teresa as his trump card, and then looked at Teresa's clear and bright eyes full of anticipation, Wood swallowed the rejection that was on the tip of his tongue.
He nodded.
"Are you going to spend it with your parents, Miss Vivian?" Tang En turned to ask Vivian again.
"No … They've already booked the plane tickets to Barcelona. They've been planning to take advantage of the Christmas holidays since the beginning of the year. "Vivian shook her head.
"Then you …"
"And I have to work overtime, so I can only stay in Nottingham." Vivian gave Tang En a smile.
"Then …" Tang En turned to Wood, looked at him and said, "Don't forget to bring Miss Vivian along, George."
Wood raised his head and looked in surprise at the smiling Tang En.
Vivian also looked at Tang En in surprise, but she quickly turned her gaze to Wood, as if waiting for his answer.
Vivian was not the only one waiting for his answer. Tang En and Shania both looked at Wood, waiting for his answer.
Wood hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Tang En smiled, Shania smiled, and Vivian also lowered her head and smiled.
"Alright, then we'll call it a day." Tang En and his family sent Wood and Vivian out of the courtyard. Then Tang En said to Wood, "Send Miss Vivian home first, then you can go back."
Wood looked at him.
"A man should not let a lady go home alone." Tang En put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it hard.
"If you're worried that you'll be home too late, I can allow you to be 15 minutes late for tomorrow morning's training."
※ ※ ※
Wood was not late for the next day's training session. He was still the first in the team to arrive at the training base, the first to change into his training uniform, and the first to appear on the training ground.
Two days later, in the first game of the devil's schedule on Christmas, Wood led the team to defeat the visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then came the news from Paris, France, that George Wood had won the Ballon d 'Or for his outstanding performance in this year's national team competition. On the same day, Wood was also awarded the World Football Player of the Year award by the British World Football magazine. In addition, this year's Laureus Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year award was still waiting for him.
More than a week later, five days before Christmas, Wood and Tang En flew together to the Austrian capital, Vienna. In the Golden Hall, Wood received the FIFA World Player of the Year trophy from the hands of the FIFA president, Vieira.
Although his performance in the club team was not very good, this year was the year of the World Cup, and the selection criteria for the major awards were only based on large-scale competitions like the World Cup. Tang En's England team was a team that emphasized the whole. As the core and captain of the whole team, Wood was naturally the key figure in the team's final victory in the World Cup. His selection as this year's FIFA World Player of the Year was well-deserved and undisputed.
At the award ceremony, Wood appeared a little stiff, but his short acceptance speech made Tang En, who was sitting below with a smile on his face and ready to applaud, tear up.
"All my honors belong to my mother, and this is no exception." He raised the gold cup in his hand. "Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Mr. Tang En. "
This was the first time Wood had received such an honor. His career had reached a peak. Hopefully, his life would also start a brand new journey from now on …
And Tony Twain, by leading England to victory in the World Cup, was once again awarded this year's Manager of the Year. This was nothing new. Tang En had appeared on this stage to receive the award when he led the team to win the first UEFA Champions League, as well as the defending UEFA Champions League title and the Treble.
This was the fourth time in his coaching career that he had gone on stage to receive an award.
"I hope you won't get tired of it." Tang En's first sentence made the audience burst into laughter. "It's definitely not a pleasant thing to see this annoying face of mine again. But it's okay, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. " When Tang En said this, he faced the FIFA and UEFA officials. "I'll only be here for this season, so I'll say goodbye to you in advance." He waved his hand. "This time, it's a real goodbye. I won't be coming back. You can all have a good night's sleep in the future, guys. "
Then, under the stunned expressions of the senior officials, Tang En slowly walked off the stage with the trophy in his hand. He was greeted by a standing ovation from all the audience and guests.
Although there were many who were his enemies, off the field, facing a person with so many honors, it was a necessary respect.
No matter how much you hated him or hated him, those championship trophies would always remind you to look at him in the eye.
In the top hall of classical music in Vienna, Tony Twain, a world-class figure, had also stepped into the top hall of football. He received the respect of everyone, including his opponents. From then on, no one dared to question his status.
※ ※ ※
PS, it's a pity that football does not have a hall of fame like the NBA. Otherwise, Tang En would definitely be inducted into the hall of fame. Now I can only let him be symbolically crowned in Vienna ~ ~ But to be able to receive a standing ovation from everyone, including his opponents, that scene must be very exciting, right?
He did offend a lot of people, but it was all for victory. In the face of the championship results, these minor details were insignificant. His character might still be controversial in the future, but his results were unquestionable. This was the reason why those in the same profession would collectively give a standing ovation — in the field of professional football, it was still the results that spoke. Only the strong could win the respect of the world.
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