George Wood is injured!!!
This was the headline of the sports section of The Times. It was striking, and the three exclamation marks were even more frightening.
But no one objected to or was puzzled by such a headline. All English fans should know the fact that George Wood had never missed a game due to injury in the 12 years since he played in the professional league. The only "injury" he had suffered before was a bleeding on his forehead after he collided with Makelele in the 07-08 Champions League final.
If it were not for Tony Twain's intentional rotation, George Wood could even have set a Guinness World Record — the record of never missing a game since his professional career. The English Premier League was probably the league with the most games in a single season in the European league because they had two domestic cup competitions alone, while the other countries only had one. Moreover, the Premier League did not have a winter break. The competition schedule was dense and long, and few players could play all the games of the season.
Lampard was hailed as the Iron Man when he came out of nowhere at Chelsea that year because he played all fifty of Chelsea's games in that season and played the full ninety minutes in each game.
To achieve such results, physical strength must be good. That was the prerequisite. Secondly, he must be in a stable state. Finally, and most importantly — he must not be easily injured.
Lampard did it in two seasons at his peak. And George Wood did it almost every day for ten years.
No one had ever seen him on the field with cramps in his legs, and no one had ever seen him leave the field with tears streaming down his face because of an injury. The biggest reason why he could not play on the field was because of the red card ban.
He had broken several people's legs in his 12 years of professional career, and many people had to be carried off the field on stretchers. But he stood firm like an alien creature.
Nottingham Forest did not believe that Wood would be injured. He was like the ancient Greek hero Achilles who was immersed in the River Styx. He was invulnerable and would not be injured at all. The English fans thought that England's patron saint was the embodiment of invincibility and invincible. As a dragon slayer hero, "Saint George" naturally had the ability to be unharmed and immortal when he was sprayed with dragon's blood.
These legends were too consistent with Wood's personal image, so much so that everyone forgot that Wood was actually a living human with flesh and blood …
The photo of George Wood being carried off the pitch on a stretcher had appeared in the most prominent position in the major media outlets. Even for the reporters and fans who were familiar with Wood, it was definitely the first time they had seen this photo.
Below the photo was what the Forest team doctor, Fleming, had said in an interview:
"… His condition is very bad. His right big toe is fractured … I don't know how long it will take for him to recover … His emotions are stable …"
Fleming could not have been unaware of how long it would take for Wood to recover, for he had officially told Walker the three-month deadline.
However, he lied to the media. That was because Tang En had called him and asked him not to reveal the time. At the very least, before he had a face-to-face interview with Wood, he couldn't let the media know about the despairing "three months."
At this time, Tang En was sitting in the ward with Wood, while Sophia was peeling an apple for her son.
"You're now the most famous person in England, George." Tang En smiled at Wood, who was sitting on the hospital bed.
"Is it because it's my first injury?" It looked like Wood had recovered from the blow of yesterday's injury. At the very least, his gaze was no longer dull.
"Before I came, I read some of the media's comments. Some people said that the news of your injury was comparable to the Queen's pregnancy. Haha! "Tang En laughed.
Wood did not laugh. He just looked at Tang En. Tang En also felt a little bored, so he stopped smiling and asked, "How do you feel?"
"Where I'm injured? It's a little painful … "
"No, I'm asking how you feel about this matter now."
Wood was silent for a moment before he asked a question that Tang En did not know how to answer. "Do I still have hope of participating in the UEFA European Championship?"
He must not have known that it would take at least three months for his injury to recover.
In fact, this question was also the reason why Tang En came to look for Wood. George Wood was the most important chess piece in his plan. It was fine for England to be without anyone, but not without Wood. Over the past two years, Tang En had constantly transformed the England team and made the team accustomed to using Wood as the core. Whether it was offense or defense, it could not be separated from his deployment. George Wood was not the kind of midfielder who would pass the final threatening pass, but he was the team's metronome. The team's overall performance was directly related to him. Just like Albertini in the past, Sacchi had said, "Albertini sneezes and Italy catches a cold." Wood's effect on Italy was similar to Albertini's in the past.
George Wood's injury undoubtedly cast a shadow over England's prospects in the UEFA European Championship.
From Tang En's hesitation, Wood read the answer to his question. Then, he felt very indignant. He had won all the honors at the club, but he had never reaped any rewards in the national team. Now, he was 30 in the blink of an eye … According to the standards of the average professional player, their career had already begun to decline after the age of 30. He did not know how many more years he could play, but the World Cup was held every four years. He knew that he did not have many years to waste.
When he was young, he met McClaren and Eriksson who did not like him. He did not get many chances to play on the bench in the 2006 World Cup, and England did not qualify for the UEFA European Championship at all in 2008. He was already 24 years old when he amazed the world football scene in the 2010 World Cup, but England eventually stopped in the top four. He participated in the 2012 London Olympics and the UEFA European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. His amazing fitness allowed him to deal with two important competitions in a row without a problem. But the team's results were not satisfactory. Olympic bronze medal, UEFA European Championship top four. It looked like the best he could achieve in a national team competition was third place. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, England did not even make it to the top eight this time because he was not in form and played abnormally. The team was eventually blocked out of the top eight. He also became the target of criticism by the English media after the game. Fortunately, his psychological quality was strong and he did not sink.
After Tang En became the England manager, George Wood also ushered in his most glorious period in the national team, even though he was already 28 years old. He became the captain of the England team and became the core of the England team. He had planned to show off his abilities at the age of 30, the peak age of a professional player, and get his first glory in the national team under the leadership of the boss. But he was injured two months before the start of the UEFA European Championship.
Fate really made a fool of him …
All of his lofty ambitions became a joke the moment he was injured.
Not being able to get glory in the national team had always been a sore point for Wood. He was really unwilling to be so far away from what might be the best chance of his career.
While Tang En was still considering how he should answer Wood's question without provoking him, Wood had already spoken.
"I've decided."
"Huh?"
"I'm going to participate in the UEFA European Championship," Wood said in a calm tone.
Sophia, who was focused on peeling apples for the two of them, raised her head slightly and looked at her son.
"Huh?" Tang En did not react. "You'll be 34 years old in four years … Well, with your physical condition, I believe you can play until you're 44 without a problem …"
"It's not the UEFA European Championship in four years. It's the UEFA European Championship in June this year," Wood said.
"Your injury …" Tang En pointed to his right foot.
"I think it should be fine in two months."
"You don't have experience with injuries. I have to listen to the doctor." Tang En shook his head. "I'll talk to the doctor in a while."
"Then we'll seal it." Wood made another suggestion.
"Sealing it isn't a cure. It's just to reduce some pain. That would make things worse …" Tang En continued to shake his head and rejected the suggestion.
"I don't care. I must go to Spain!" Wood was a little unreasonable.
"George, how can you speak to Mr. Tang En like that?" Tang En had just opened his mouth when Sophia beat him to it.
"It's fine, Madam …" Tang En smiled at Sophia. The sight of this beautiful woman aging day by day made his heart ache. How breathtaking she was when he first saw her in the slums. It was as if the whole world had lost its color because of her.
Tang En turned his attention back to Wood. "I understand how you feel, George. But you also have to think long-term. Your career is still very long. I don't want to ruin it for the sake of one UEFA European Championship. "
"I'm already 30 years old. Isn't it time for me to start going downhill?"
"With your physical condition and lifestyle, I guarantee you can play until you're at least 40, George."
Wood leaned his straight body back a little and leaned on the bed. "I won't think about the future."
Seizing every minute?
Tang En thought to himself that Wood's temper was as stubborn as his. Ten horses might not be able to pull him back. Directly rejecting him now would probably not work.
"All right, George. I have to talk to the doctor first and understand the extent of your injury before I decide … I promise you, as long as there's hope of you recovering within two months, I'll definitely take you to Spain. What do you think? "
Speak of the devil. As they were talking, the doctor, Professor Wallace, knocked on the door and came in.
He greeted the people in the room with a smile, then greeted Wood and began to examine him.
Tang En gave the space in front of the bed and watched from the side as the other party finished the examination. Then he gave Professor Wallace a "let's have a talk" look, and the professor understood and followed Twain out.
※ ※ ※
"How's George's injury?" Tang En's heart skipped a beat when he saw the professor, who was quite famous in the academic world, smiling from the moment he entered to the moment he left. This man was the former chairman of the British Sports Medicine Research Association. His expression was calm. Maybe Wood was fine, but Fleming had made a mistake?
"I don't think it's good for you, Mr. Tang." Professor Wallace smiled and shook his head.
"I saw you smiling the whole time …" Tang En was puzzled.
"Generally speaking, Mr. Tang … if you see me with a long face, it means some unlucky guy is going to have an amputation." The smile on Wallace's face was still there, but Tang En felt a chill run down his spine.
"All right, that's good news indeed …" Tang En muttered. "How long will it take to recover?"
"At least three months." Wallace put up three fingers.
As Fleming had predicted, Tang En's brows furrowed. He hesitated for a moment, intending to ask a question. But the other party took the initiative to block his mouth.
"I know what you want to ask, Mr. Tang. Although I'm an England fan and a Nottingham Forest fan, I want to tell you that it's impossible. " He waved his arm to strengthen his tone. "George Wood can't recover before the UEFA European Championship. He can't participate in this UEFA European Championship."
Tang En glanced at the door of the ward, worried that the doctor's words would be heard by Wood. Then he gestured to Wallace to continue walking forward. "Can we walk a little further?"
Wallace nodded in agreement.
When the two men walked to the end of the corridor, Tang En made sure that George Wood could no longer hear the content of their conversation before he said to Wallace, "Two months. Is it possible?" He put up two fingers.
"I've already told you just now, Mr. Tang. Absolutely impossible. "
"Is there really no chance at all?" Tang En stared at the other party.
Wallace did not avoid the aggressive gaze. "The toe is a very complicated part. It's not like he sprained it. It's a fracture. Generally speaking, such an injury needs three to six months to fully recover. Even if it's faster, eight weeks. He can't do any rehabilitation training within these two months, and the muscles will naturally atrophy. If you want him to return to the field, you'll need to arrange more time for him to do rehabilitation training. By the time he can play football again, the UEFA European Championship will also be over. He needs to touch the ball frequently there. It won't do if he doesn't do it thoroughly, because a second injury might occur. That situation would be even more troublesome. So, I don't recommend you force him to return early. "
These words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Tang En's heart. "But George wants to participate in this UEFA European Championship. He's already 30 years old …" He muttered. Rather than saying he was persuading Wallace, it was more like he was talking to himself.
Looking at Tang En's dejected look with his head lowered, Wallace, who had always scrupulously abided by his professional ethics, suddenly felt his heart soften. He opened his mouth and said, "Maybe … Well, two months is not impossible. George's body has always been very strong. This might be able to help his recovery. But whether or not it'll work, you'll need to pray for a miracle, Mr. Tang. "
Tang En jerked his head up. He did not see the smile on the other party's face and sparkling eyes. Wallace shrugged at him. "I can't guarantee that you'll get the information you want in two months, Mr. Tang. I can only do my best. In addition, you'll have to pray that everything goes well in his recovery process. "
"Of course!" Tang En nodded excitedly. This was already the best news he had heard today.
※ ※ ※
After sending Professor Wallace off and returning to the ward, Wood did not ask what Tang En had discussed with the doctor or if there were any results. Tang En did not tell him that either. He just casually chatted with the two men for a while, ate the apple Sophia handed him, and got up to leave.
The reporters, who had been blocked by the security guards outside, saw Tang En walk out from inside with sunglasses on, and they all crowded around him. They wanted to hear what he had to say.
"How's George's condition, Mr. Tang?"
"Will his injury affect his participation in this summer's UEFA European Championship?"
"Do you have anything to say about Wood's injury, Mr. Tang?"
"George Wood is already the core of England. May I ask if you have a plan B, Mr. Tang?"
"Tony! Hey, Tony … "
"Mr. Tang, Mr. Tang, please answer my question!"
Amid the noise, Tang En could not even hear what the reporters were asking. Under the protection of the security guards, he struggled to squeeze to the front of his car. After opening the door, he turned back to the reporters and said, "I can only tell you that George and I have not given up hope of letting him play in the UEFA European Championship."
Then he got into the car and sped away.
※ ※ ※
Wood's injury attracted the attention of the whole of England overnight. Various media outlets tirelessly reported the news of his injury. Major media outlets racked their brains to bribe the doctors, nurses, and even the cleaners of the Royal Hospital of the University of Nottingham in the hope of finding out something about George Wood's current situation.
Although the Spanish defender, Enrique, who tackled Wood, repeatedly claimed that he did not do it on purpose and even called Wood after the game to apologize, the angry Englishmen did not want to let him off so easily. Even the Newcastle United fans ran to the training base to protest against his rough foul. The media also latched onto the issue and did not let it go. It was as if they wanted to portray Enrique as the "public enemy number one."
There were also media outlets that elevated the foul to the level of a "conspiracy." They believed that Enrique must have been instructed by someone in Spain. Even Spain's own media outlets admitted that Enrique's tackle on Wood was very beneficial for Spain in the UEFA European Championship. Because without Wood, England's threat to Spain's title was greatly reduced.
Tony Twain fiercely attacked Newcastle United's manager, Kinnear, in his own column. He criticized him for having no professional ethics and allowing his own players to deliberately injure the opposing players during the game. He was unscrupulous in order to win. At this time, Carl Spicer could not risk universal condemnation and mock Twain for not remembering what he did in the past … Because if he spoke up for the Irish manager of Newcastle United, it would be tantamount to putting himself on the opposite side of the English people. At that time, he would be waiting to be attacked by rotten eggs and tomatoes at his doorstep.
Poor Kinnear weakly defended himself, claiming that he did not arrange for his players to deliberately target George Wood. It was just an accident on the football field. Such accidents happened often. He could not be blamed just because the player who was injured was the core of the England team.
But who cared so much about him? Many people who originally had hope and longing for England's prospects in the UEFA European Championship felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over them from head to toe. What would happen to England if Wood was seriously injured? Who would be responsible if our hopes of winning the title were gone?
It would be that Kinnear! And Enrique!
This matter even involved the Spanish media. Their own players had been insulted in England, and the Spanish media were also very upset. The media from both sides officially started a war.
On the other hand, William Hill made some adjustments to the original odds. The odds for England to win the title changed from 1: 7 to 1: 9. They did not do this often. This could only mean that George Wood was too important to the England team now …
While the outside world was becoming chaotic, the guy who countless people were worried about was lying on a hospital bed, sleeping quietly.
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