At the press conference, Tony Twain promised Pierce Brosnan that George Wood would stay. But that was only Twain's way of appeasing the team and fans. He himself was not sure that Wood would stay. He was not stupid enough to think that Wood's return to continue training meant that he had a change of heart.
So, the matter between him and Wood was not over.
Tony Twain had to have a talk with Wood, and this time, he had to do it in a completely calm environment. Both sides could be open and honest, and use the best state to settle the matter between them.
Twain was certainly not going to tell Wood that his mother was doomed, so he should give up on treatment! He just wanted to tell Wood to be more realistic sometimes. Back then, Nottingham Forest had done their best to treat Sophia's illness. They had even specially sent her to America, the most advanced country in this area. It was just the final radiance of the setting sun, that was all.
Of course, the calm conversation this time had to be much more skillful than the hasty conversation in the car.
He just wanted to tell Wood that AC Milan's promise could not be taken seriously. Living in a fantasy would not make one grow up. Both of them were well aware of Sophia's current situation. It was just that they had not publicly mentioned it before. If Sophia went to Italy, AC Milan would pay more money and find better doctors and hospitals, but still could not cure Sophia. How would George Wood feel? The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Twain was worried that Wood would not be able to overcome this hurdle in Italy. He knew very well what kind of person Wood was. Don't be fooled by his mature look. In fact, in some aspects, he was still a child. Without his mother and without Twain by his side, leaving him to face the biggest setback in his life alone, Twain felt that he might sink into oblivion.
George Wood was all the motivation for Sophia to live on. Who could say that Sophia was not all the motivation for Wood to live on?
But the situation could not go on like this. It might be a little cruel to say it, but people had to grow up. Since no one wanted to be the bad guy, then Tony Twain, who was already guilty of a lot of evil, would be the bad guy. That was why he said those hurtful words to Wood in the car.
But now was the time for both sides to talk calmly. Although the topic was still a little cruel. But in life, one had to face this cruelty and learn to face it, instead of wrapping oneself in a self-created fantasy for the rest of your life. Whose life was not cruel? I somehow transmigrated to England and lost my parents. Isn't it cruel? How could they live if they always wanted to escape from such cruelty? He might as well tie a rock to himself and jump into the English Channel.
In George Wood's twenty-four years of life, he had never lacked maternal love, but he had never enjoyed a single second of fatherly love. "Father" was distant and unfamiliar to him. In his life, the role of a father had never played a role in his life.
Tang En did not mind being his "father". He was a strict character, to the point of being harsh and cruel.
"I have to apologize to you, George." Twain went straight to the point the moment they met.
Wood glanced at him and did not respond. Although he listened to his mother and apologized to this person, there was still a knot in his heart.
"Are you still mad at me for what I said the other day?"
"I thought you understood my relationship with Mom."
"Of course I do. In fact, I understand it better than you think …" Tang En spread his hands. "I know that saying that will make you uncomfortable. But don't get the wrong idea. I also hope that your mother can continue to live healthily. I don't doubt this possibility now. A large portion of your annual salary of several million pounds has been used here. This is the material foundation of this matter. "
Speaking up to this point, Tang En observed Wood's reaction and found that he did not show any signs of disgust, so he continued to say, "Do you believe in miracles? George? "
"Miracle?" Wood thought about it in his heart. Every day before he went to bed, he hoped to wake up the next morning to see his mother sitting by his bed with a smile and saying to him, "George, my body has completely recovered!" Was this a miracle?
If it was a miracle, he had believed in it for nearly twenty years, but it had never come true even once.
Should he believe it? Should he not believe it?
"I still remember when we sent your mother to America for treatment. The doctor who diagnosed her was very surprised and said that based on your mother's physical condition, it was impossible for her to live until then …" Tang En slowly recounted the story that Wood had never heard before.
Tang En still remembered the doctor's surprised expression very clearly because he was also very surprised after hearing it. The doctor told everyone present that Sophia should have passed away long ago after giving birth to Wood. She had lost a lot of blood when she gave birth to Wood. Postpartum nutrition was almost zero, so it caused her face and lips to be pale and looked bloodless. Needless to say, almost every encounter was a "poison" that could cause her sudden death.
Evan was also very surprised. He asked Tang En, who was the closest to Sophia, if this was true.
Tang En immediately thought of George Wood. He nodded and said, "To her, there is someone more effective than any doctor or medicine … supporting her life."
"It's you, George," Tang En said to Wood, who was sitting in front of him. "Your mother believes in miracles. But her miracle is not any medical equipment, doctors, or medicine. It's you, her son, the essence of her life, the continuation of her life. You are her miracle. Do you know why, under such difficult circumstances, your mother did not believe in religion? Because her God is you, George. "
Wood did not know when, but he lowered his head and did not say a word. Tang En could not see his expression and could only rely on his intuition to guess Wood's mental state at that moment.
"This joke is not funny …" Wood's voice was a little low.
"It's a pity, George. Your mother told me this herself. "Tang En looked at Wood, who had his head lowered. There was no joking expression on his face.
Before being pushed into the operating room, Sophia suddenly grabbed Tang En's hand. A pair of dark eyes looked at him, flickering with a dim light. Her voice was a little weak, so much so that Tang En had to lean down and put his ear beside her mouth to listen to her murmur, "Actually, I don't have any worries, Mr. Tang. Except for George … He's my baby. I can't stop worrying about him. If I … "
Tang En squeezed her cold hand hard and said, "You'll be fine, Sophia. It's just a nap. Don't hand such an important thing to me. I'm not a meticulous person. I'm always forgetting things. I'll mess up a lot of things … Take care of the thing you cherish the most. For George, you have to live on no matter what. "
Two streams of tears rolled down from the corners of Sophia's moist eyes.
Tang En smiled at her and said, "When I lead the team, I always tell my players, including your son. I ask them to not give up the option of fighting for victory no matter how difficult the situation is. 'Refusing to admit defeat' and 'a sore loser' may be words that people often use to scold me, but I feel that it's the highest reward for me. I'm proud of it, proud of it, and proud of it. Now, I also want to say this to you, Sophia. No matter what, don't admit defeat. Don't give up. You have to live on no matter how difficult it is. Didn't you walk on like this for the past 18 years? Now that your son has become a professional footballer and earned a lot of money, his life is much better than before. What reason do you have to give up the thing you cherish the most? So, it's not for anyone else. It's for George. It's for yourself. Live on. "
Sophia nodded gently with tears streaming down her face.
She loosened her grip on Tang En's hand and was pushed into the operating room.
Tang En realized that Wood's head was buried lower and lower.
"The operation was very dangerous. It went on for 12 hours."
After a moment of silence, Tang En continued, "I'm not against you treating your mother. A large portion of your salary every year is used to do this. You've practically traveled all over the world. Maybe Italy can do it? I don't know. I'm only dissuading you from leaving because I don't believe AC Milan can fulfill this promise. Of course … "He looked at Wood." I admit that I'm more realistic than you in this aspect. I'm so realistic that I'm a little callous … But if you still insist on trying out Italy after our conversation today, you can transfer and leave. I'm just giving you a suggestion. Whether you accept it or not is up to you. Look, when your former teammates wanted to leave here, who did I succeed in keeping? "
He spread his hands and laughed self-deprecatingly.
Yes, from the earliest Michael Dawson to Bendtner. When he wanted to keep someone, when did he ever succeed?
I'm a f * cking piece of trash that makes someone else's wedding dress …
What "king" who has the power to decide life and death? Don't be ridiculous. It's just a gimmick created by the media. You guys actually believe that?
Strange. Shouldn't I be trying to persuade Wood to stay? How did I end up persuading him to leave?
That's not right …
"Uh, no … I still don't want you to go, George. We should have other solutions. Isn't it just to find the best doctor, the best hospital, and the best medicine and equipment to treat your mother? If AC Milan can afford it, why can't Nottingham Forest? Their Milan laboratory is only a professional place to treat sports injuries. It has nothing to do with your mother's illness … Isn't it the same everywhere? Why must we go to Italy? "
After going around in a big circle, Tang En finally found his "main idea." He was almost fooled by AC Milan — AC Milan promised to treat Wood's mother at all costs, but they did not say to come to Italy for treatment. They only hoped to use this very humane method to attract George Wood's attention and goodwill, and then privately fight for the player's consent so that they could fully attack the club …
Wasn't this his usual method?
So, this was not a decisive thing at all. As long as the Forest Football Club came up with the same conditions as AC Milan, wouldn't it be up to him to decide if George Wood stayed?
Could Nottingham Forest come up with it?
Without a doubt.
In fact, after the surgery, the chief surgeon had said that Sophia's body was extremely weak. If they really wanted her to live longer, it was best not to undergo any more surgery. They could only use expensive medicine to maintain her condition. Nottingham Forest did not care about this bit of medicine money.
It was really a calm conversation … In fact, it was him who had calmed down. Tang En realized that once he calmed down, he felt that AC Milan was no threat to him at all. Instead, he was the one who almost messed things up in his anxiety …
Damn it!
Did he think the whole world was against him? He almost went berserk!
He did not speak anymore. He looked at Wood quietly, waiting for his reply.
After a while, Wood's dull voice rang out again. "I never said I was going to Italy."
"Huh?" Tang En thought he heard wrong.
"I never said I was going to Italy." Wood finally raised his head. His eyes were a little red, but there were no traces of tears on his face.
Tang En opened his mouth wide and stared blankly at Wood, thinking he had seen an alien.
They confronted each other like this for a while before he suddenly scolded with a smile, "You bastard!" Because he realized that Wood really did not say to him or to any media that he was going to Italy … In fact, he was the bastard. But how could he say something like that when he cared about his reputation?
"Alright, I was thinking too highly of myself …" The man who cared about his reputation still lowered his head. "I apologize to you. Do you accept it?"
Wood shook his head. "What you said wasn't completely without merit …"
There was still another man who cared about his reputation here.
Now that they were done talking about business, it was time to talk about something personal.
"George, I'm telling you very seriously. You really should think about your own feelings. Your mother really wants to see you get rid of your single status. How much longer do you plan to let her wait? "
Wood was silent for a while and then said, "I haven't found one yet …"
"What kind of one are you looking for? I'll get Shania to introduce you to someone. It doesn't matter if it's a famous model or a movie star, "Tang En joked.
"Someone like my mother."
George Wood's honest answer almost made Tang En vomit blood.
He took a deep breath and calmed his emotions. He then exhaled and sighed.
This kid's love … let it be!
※ ※ ※
For Tang En, the love triangle between him and George Wood, as well as AC Milan, was over. But for the reporters who wished for the world to be in chaos, the story had just begun.
Tang En shut them out. In reality, they ran out on their own. But that did not stop them from making up news stories.
Why would George Wood be absent from training for no reason? Although he returned afterwards, it was certain that he would be late for training. There must be a reason for Tony Twain's sudden outburst. AC Milan was pursuing George Wood. Of course, he would be unhappy. But his loss of composure, coupled with George Wood's tardiness for training, made people's imaginations roam.
Would the so-called most loyal warrior of Nottingham Forest also have a day where he could not resist the temptation and wanted to defect?
This was a sensational piece of news!
The next day, news about George Wood's departure from the team and his transfer to AC Milan appeared in the major media. The reporters spoke with certainty and vividly described the inside story. It was as if these reporters were invisible people who followed George Wood or Galliani around the clock. The readers could not help but believe it.
"… Why would George Wood be late for training for the first time? You must know that he is a role model for the team's discipline. In fact, it was because he was dissatisfied with Tony Twain's refusal to let him go to AC Milan. Back then, the Malian Diarra wanted to transfer from Rio to Real Madrid. Aulas did not let him go. Diarra refused to train and at the same time threatened to retire if he was not let go to Real Madrid. It looks like George Wood has learned … "
"It's easy to understand why Tony Twain is so angry. His most trusted subordinate had betrayed him. Anyone would be furious. It's said that AC Milan offered a sky-high contract for George Wood. Coupled with Wood's agent, Billy Woox, the temptation, it's inevitable that George Wood will be tempted … "
"Tony Twain lost his composure on the sidelines of the training ground yesterday. It's obviously related to his recent troubles. George Wood is tempted by AC Milan's high salary, but he can't come up with a better way to deal with it. In addition, Wood has already shown his attitude by deliberately being late for training, so … "
As if to make a footnote for these media news, in the first round of the new season the next day, Nottingham Forest's home game against Fulham, the media was "surprised" to find George Wood sitting on the substitutes' bench!
"George Wood has not been injured recently. The league tournament has just started and he doesn't have any fitness problems … No, even if the league tournament goes on until Christmas, he won't have any fitness problems. Condition? Have we ever heard of this monster being out of form? Then why is George Wood on the substitutes' bench? The answer is obvious! "
The television commentator speculated excitedly. If George Wood, who shone in the World Cup, left Nottingham Forest and transferred to AC Milan, it would be one of the most sensational transfers of the summer.
The stands of the City Ground stadium had already been hung with banners urging George Wood to stay, and it looked like he was really going to leave soon.
On this team's fan forum, there were also radical fans who scolded Wood as a Judas who would betray everything for money. At this time, there would be Wood's loyal fans who would come forward to defend their idol, and then both sides would spit on each other online and fight.
In fact, it was easy to find out the truth — just listen to what Twain or Wood had to say.
But because Twain's relationship with the media was strained a few days ago, he refused to be interviewed by any media other than the Nottingham Evening Post. At the same time, he did not let the media get close to his players. Even when he answered Brosnan's questions, he did not mention anything about George Wood. It was really confusing.
And what about George Wood? Even if the media could find him through other means, he would not answer any questions about his transfer to AC Milan. He used silence and a cold face that he was best at to deal with all questions.
After the game started, the live broadcast cut to the face of George Wood, who was sitting on the substitutes' bench, several times. His expressionless face was interpreted by the commentator as "dissatisfaction with Tony Twain". The commentator mentioned many times while commentating on the game, "If George Wood has already reached an agreement with AC Milan, then Twain will not give him a minute to play before he leaves. This may be the last side of him that we will be able to see in the City Ground stadium. "
"In the past, Tony Twain and George Wood were the most talked about duo in the football world. Their relationship was like that of Ferguson and Beckham in the past, like a father and son. Twain had transformed George Wood from a porter living in the slums to a superstar living in a mansion. George Wood, on the other hand, had used his own actions to help Tony Twain achieve the championship title that he had always dreamed of. The two of them are the best partners in English football. Now, this best partner is about to face the fate of breaking up. The call of loyalty and honor is no match for the temptation of money … I suddenly feel a little sympathy for Tony Twain … "
At this moment, Twain, who was being pitied, was standing on the sidelines to direct the game. His expression was solemn because the team and Fulham were locked in a fierce battle on the field. The score was 1: 1, but from the looks of the situation, it was impossible to tell who would win this game.
After sympathizing with Twain, the commentator returned to his work.
"Without George Wood, Nottingham Forest lacks some toughness in the midfield, and their control has declined. Tiago and George Wood are not of the same level. Moreover, he is old, and his form is declining every day. If I were Twain, I would sell him this summer. Şahin lacks protection, and he keeps losing the ball. How can he organize the offense? "
"Ibišević has not fully integrated into the team. As a striker, he lacks some support in the front field. Cohen's performance is average, but as an assist player, he is too honest … Nottingham Forest needs an inspiration, a bright spot. Maybe Twain should bring on the Chilean? "
In the first half, the score was 1: 1. In the second half, Twain did not say anything and continued to use this lineup.
In the 67th minute, just three minutes before the commentator guessed that Twain should make a substitution, Nottingham Forest took the lead. Eastwood suddenly swung his leg for a cold shot outside the penalty area. The Fulham goalkeeper, Diego Penney, was caught off guard. He did not expect Eastwood to be able to do a long shot from the spot without a run-up. It was too late for him to jump and he could only watch the ball fly into the goal behind him.
The City Ground stadium erupted with cheers for the second time, cheering for Eastwood's goal.
"A beautiful goal! Eastwood has continued his outstanding form from last season. Twain has been looking for a striker all summer. But I have to say, the best striker is by his side! "
"The Romani Rooney has scored twice. He has helped Nottingham Forest take the lead again!"
Twain, who had been tense off the field, finally had a reason to vent. He rushed out of the manager's area with open arms and hugged the people around him.
The television cameras cut to Wood again. They wanted to see how the captain, who appeared to be in harmony with Nottingham Forest, would react.
Wood was standing on the sidelines, applauding with the other substitutes.
Such a harmonious scene, in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, had become "in harmony, but at heart."
※ ※ ※
After Eastwood helped the team take the lead again, Twain finally replaced Cohen with Matías Fernández and Şahin with Mostock. The team's formation and tactics did not change much.
Near the end of the game, Twain replaced the mediocre Ibišević with van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy, who had been away from the field for a year and a half, received the applause and cheers of the fans the moment he appeared. In fact, Twain did not replace him because he was dissatisfied with Ibišević's performance. It was because he had no idea how van Nistelrooy would perform when he went on. It was purely to give van Nistelrooy a chance to make his debut at home. Nottingham Forest's next two league games were both away games.
Ibišević was a little crestfallen when he came off the field. He had held back his energy during the game, wanting to score a goal on his debut to prove his strength and to prove that Tony Twain's judgment was not wrong. But it looked like the English Premier League and the Bundesliga were indeed very different.
Twain shook hands with him and only said, "You did well, Ibi."
Ibišević was a little depressed. He did not say anything. He just shook hands and went to the substitutes' bench to catch his breath.
Boss had bet with others that he could score 20 goals in a season. Now that he had played for 80 minutes in the first round of the season and had not scored a single goal, he seemed especially relaxed. I really don't know what he's thinking.
Twain used up the last spot he had in his hands by bringing on van Nistelrooy. This also meant that George Wood would definitely not have a chance to play in this game.
The commentator chattered on in the live broadcast, "It looks like the conflict between Twain and Wood is completely out in the open. He didn't even let Wood get up to warm up once in the game. It looks like he had no intention of giving Wood a chance to play from the start! I suddenly thought of the 08-09 season. When Bendtner and Twain had a conflict and wanted to go to Manchester City, Twain banished Bendtner from the team's squad list and let Bendtner go home to watch TV in his own home game. It was also after that game that the news of Bendtner officially joining Manchester City came out. From the looks of it, could it be that we'll know the final outcome of this transfer rumor tomorrow? "
The reporters watching the game in the press box had long begun to think about how sensational the headlines to prepare for the next two days would be to attract the readers.
"The Iron Warrior Parachutes into Milan!" "Saint George Blesses Milan!" "The Seven-Year Itch! Tony Twain and George Wood Officially Break Off! "" They used to be like father and son, but now they have turned against each other. The warmth is no more. The tea cools before the person leaves … "
It must be admitted that as a journalist, he must have a rich imagination. Otherwise, he would not be able to survive in this industry.
In the end, in the first game of the new season, Nottingham Forest relied on Eastwood's goals in the first and second halves to narrowly beat Fulham with a score of 2: 1 and won a good start.
※ ※ ※
At the post-match press conference, many reporters gathered in the small City Ground Stadium press conference room, so crowded that not even a drop of water could trickle through. They were not concerned about the outcome of the game. As the Forest team's opponent, Fulham's manager, Roy Hodgson, was simply air in their eyes.
During the free Q&A session, the reporters enthusiastically raised their hands. They all wanted to ask Tang En if the fact that he had pinned George Wood firmly on the bench in this match meant that their relationship had officially broken off and that George Wood was about to fly to Milan.
A scene that no one, including the press officer at the scene, had expected happened.
Twain looked at the forest-like arms below and snatched the press officer's job. He casually picked up the microphone, looked at the people below and said with a grin, "Before you ask your questions, I have to announce one thing — I won't accept questions from any other media except the Nottingham Evening Post. If you don't want your hands to get sore from raising them, you'd better put them all down now. Otherwise, even if you're pointed out by the press officer, I can only pretend that I didn't hear it. Did I make myself very clear? Well, Mr. Brosnan, what questions do you have? "
Pierce Brosnan did not stand up to ask a question. He was as shocked by Twain's decision as the others in the industry.
Tony Twain wanted to ban almost all the media. Did he know what it meant to go against the national media?
After Twain said that, the reporters below exploded. The scene was buzzing and chaotic.
Twain stood up and shrugged. "It looks like no one has questions. Goodbye, everyone." Of course, before he left, he did not forget to shake hands with the unlucky Hodgson, who had no idea what had happened and had been implicated in the feud between Twain and the reporters, to say goodbye.
He elegantly turned around and played with everyone present, just like how the reporters played with him two days ago.
Watching his back disappear outside the door, one of the reporters shook his head. "This Tony Twain … He's doing it again!"
"Who does he think he is?!" Someone shouted indignantly. "How can he treat us like this!"
"Don't be silly, young man." The older reporter lectured the indignant person. "He doesn't need us to pay him a salary. Of course he can treat us like this. As long as the club's top management still trusts him, he has the confidence to do so. On the contrary, we're the pitiful ones. We have to rely on him to make a living … "
When he said that, there were sighs all around.
Tony Twain was an out-and-out news figure. He could always play with the media in the palm of his hand, making the media hate him to the core, but they could not leave him at all times. Wherever he went, he brought controversy with him, but this did not diminish his charm in the slightest.
For the reporters, who were used to being arrogant and willful in England, to meet such a person was really too sad … They were just "uncrowned kings", while Tony Twain was officially crowned "king" at the City Ground Stadium.
※ ※ ※
The press conference ended on a sour note, but the reporters were not worried that there was nothing to write about. Other than hyping up Twain's rude behavior at the press conference, they naturally touted the "fact" that George Wood and Twain had broken up.
If a reader only cared about the news about Nottingham Forest in the media these two days, it was very likely that they would think that George Wood and Tony Twain had a feud of killing their father and stealing their wife. It was not an exaggeration to describe it as a "blood feud."
In the Italian media, Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport had already impatiently photoshopped a picture of George Wood wearing an AC Milan red and black striped shirt, indicating that George Wood was already in Galliani's bag.
The sly old fox Galliani expressed caution and optimism in the face of such an obvious advantage. He said, "We admit that we are interested in George Wood, but whether he comes or not doesn't depend on us. It depends on Tony Twain and the Nottingham Forest Football Club. If he really comes? That would be the best. He's a great player. I believe he can achieve the same success at San Siro … No, even more. "
Compared to his "modesty and caution", Ancelotti's caution was truly cautious. He said, "I don't know. I'm not responsible for his transfer. If the club can sign him, of course I'd welcome it. His arrival can raise our strength to a level … I hope he can come, but I can't say anything before he comes. "
As a player representative, Kaka represented the San Siro locker room to express his welcome to George Wood. He said, "AC Milan's locker room is like a big family. The atmosphere is harmonious and everyone is happy like a family. I believe George will soon like it here. You don't know Italian? It doesn't matter, I can communicate with him in Portuguese, and I can even be his translator for free. "Speaking of this, he laughed. "I admire him. George is the best defensive midfielder in the world right now. We need such a player. To be honest, I have the same opinion as Fàbregas. The opponent I don't want to meet the most in the game is George Wood. "
However, it was said that George Wood was particularly fond of his number "13." In AC Milan, this number belonged to the veteran player, the full back Nesta.
Of course, Nesta would not give up his number, but he also mentioned it in the interview. He said, "I like the number 13, but I'm already 34 years old. I think after I retire, I'll be happy to see it worn by George Wood. "
Therefore, George Wood only needed to endure for two seasons and he would almost certainly be able to get his favorite number 13.
He said a lot of beautiful words. It seemed that AC Milan, from the club's top management to the players' locker room, were ready to welcome George Wood's arrival in AC Milan.
But the truth was that Billy Woox promised Galliani to help convince George Wood and asked AC Milan to wait for news. A few days passed. Neither Wood nor Woox had given Galliani an answer, not even a vague one.
※ ※ ※
Another day passed after the match. The rumors about whether George Wood would transfer to another club became more and more intense. Although Brosnan published an interview with Tony Twain in the newspaper he worked for as the "spokesperson for Nottingham Forest," he said that George Wood would not go anywhere.
However, this article was interpreted by more people as "Tony Twain is a stubborn duck".
He was just putting up a last-ditch struggle. When Bendtner wanted to go to Manchester City, did he not publicly say in the media that Bendtner would not go anywhere?
His behavior was just like a girl going to bed with a man for the first time. During foreplay, he would be coy, saying "no," "no," "don't …" But in the end, did he not raise his hands in surrender and lie under the man's body and pant?
We've seen through him long ago!
So, in this context, when George Wood's open letter appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post, the media that had previously hyped up the matter were collectively speechless after an uproar.
"I want to express my apologies to the Nottingham Forest fans and my teammates for what happened during this period of time. I want to use the Nottingham Evening Post to reiterate my loyalty to this team to all Nottingham Forest fans — I will not go anywhere other than Nottingham Forest. I am a player trained by the Forest team. I belong here. I am the captain. I will not leave.
Your captain: George Wood. "
The full text was that long.
He did not reprimand the media for adding fuel to the fire, nor did he show how deep his relationship with Tony Twain was. He did not even mention a word about the other party in the transfer matter, AC Milan. If it were anyone else, they would also feel happy and grateful that a powerhouse team like AC Milan had shown interest in them, right? No, he only talked about his own matters and his own thoughts.
It was very consistent with George Wood's usual style of speaking, doing, and thinking.
The editors of the Nottingham Evening Post were very good at their work. Tony Twain's column in their newspaper was right under George Wood's open letter.
In his column, Tang En ridiculed those media outlets who had previously vowed, "George Wood has already transferred to AC Milan, waiting for both clubs to announce it," and "Tony Twain and George Wood's master-disciple relationship is over, and they will forever be enemies after they break up."
"… George and I have already reached an agreement to stay at Nottingham Forest. He has never thought of leaving here, waiting for both sides to announce it. … You really want to see me and George Wood break up, don't you? I know what you're thinking, but I'm sorry everyone … You've all been played! Ahahahaha — "
It was a slap in the face to almost all the English media, and the crisp sound was heard across the English Channel to Italy.
Galliani had to thank his habitual caution. Ancelotti also did not dare to show in the club that he "knew this would be the result." Nesta did not have to worry about retiring at the age of 36. Maybe he could still play a little longer. The most awkward one was Kaka.
"… This is football. You never know what will happen in the next second until the last moment. However, I have some regrets that I can't play with him … "He replied somewhat resentfully in an interview with the Italian media.
Perhaps now he should not be complaining about the AC Milan Football Club, but the Brazilian Football Federation.
In the beginning, when George Wood was just a rookie of the year, there was a fight over whether he would choose to play for Brazil, Jamaica, or England.
Jamaica was the most enthusiastic. Although Sophia's family did not recognize her as a daughter, the Jamaica Football Federation recognized her as a son. But after George Wood consulted Tang En, he decisively said "no" to the country that had no future in the world of football.
In the end, he chose England because he was born in England and knew England the best. He also took it for granted that he should play for England. There was another important reason — the Brazilian Football Federation was very indifferent to the matter.
There were countless Brazilian players or players of Brazilian descent who played football around the world every year. Even players who were born and raised in Brazil might not get the treatment of being selected for the Brazilian national team. Wasn't Elton clamoring all day long to become a Qatari citizen? Did anyone care about him?
What's so great about a little rookie who played in the English Football League Championship? We can't even arrange for our own people here. Who cares about a young boy with only a little Brazilian blood? And his skills are so crude. He's nothing but a little strong physically …
We don't want such a person in Brazil.
A few years later, in the 2010 World Cup, the Brazil team led by Dunga stopped in the semi-finals and lost to their old enemy, Argentina. Dunga blamed it on the fact that he had not been able to find a stable player who could toughen up the Brazilian midfield in the past four years. Whether it was Anderson, Lucas, or Renato … there was always a gap between them and the "defensive midfielder" in his heart. Argentina had Mascherano.
But in the third and fourth place finals against England, he discovered that George Wood, who wore England's number 13 jersey, had disappeared after marking Kaka in the midfield for a while. He was very much in line with the requirements of "Dunga the second" in his heart.
Unfortunately, this guy who had Brazilian blood flowing in his body and could speak Portuguese was already an Englishman through and through.
When Dunga summed up the World Cup after the game, he said with seven parts regret and three parts resentment, "If we had George Wood, he would have six stars on his chest by now!"
The Brazilian media dug up old scores and scolded the then president of the Brazilian Football Federation, Ricardo Teixeira.
But what was the use of saying this now?
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