Chapter Twenty: A Greater Stage
Before training began, all the Tyne players who were supposed to attend stood neatly on the training ground.
However, the training did not start immediately.
Facing them stood the coaching staff along with four players.
Sonny Dean stood among the team, looking suspiciously at the scene before him.
It was normal for the coaches to be on the opposite side, nothing unusual there.
But why were the three captains plus Wang Lie also standing opposite?
This...
A sharp throb began pulsing at his temple, giving him a bad feeling.
Then he heard the head coach, McNeil, say:
“Captain Gotz proposed, and after consulting with me and the three captains, it was unanimously agreed that Wang will serve as the team’s first captain.”
The moment these words were spoken, a stir broke out among the team.
Some gasped in surprise, some whispered to each other, others whistled, and many were stunned.
Wang Lie watched the reactions of the team before him; his expression remained unchanged.
He had only learned about this ten minutes earlier when Coach McNeil had pulled him aside to tell him.
The arrangement for him to be the fourth captain had been settled when Wang Lie decided to join Tyne.
So, when McNeil brought up the captaincy, Wang Lie wasn’t surprised, thinking it was still about being the fourth captain.
But McNeil’s first words were: “We’ve decided to make you the first captain…”
Wang Lie was taken aback. “Wasn’t it supposed to be the fourth captain? Why the change? What about Gotz?”
“It was Gotz who proposed you as first captain.”
“Ah...” Wang Lie hadn’t expected Gotz to do such a thing and asked, “Did someone pressure him?”
“No, he volunteered. If anyone put pressure, it was you.” McNeil then smiled as he relayed Gotz’s words and especially his evaluation of Wang Lie.
Only then did Wang Lie realize that his behavior in the locker room yesterday had silenced Gotz, the veteran captain, to the point where he was willing to hand over the captain’s armband.
But Wang Lie was not a pretentious man; he also believed he deserved the armband. Being first captain was even better.
He nodded decisively and agreed, “Alright, I’ll be the captain.”
Thus, having joined the team just a day and a half ago, Wang Lie became Tyne’s first captain, meaning whenever he played, the captain’s armband would be worn on his left arm.
In the commotion, the original first captain, Elliott Gotz, raised his hand to quiet everyone.
When the scene calmed, he said, “After a night of deep reflection, I have decided that Wang is the best person to lead us forward. I believe under his leadership, Tyne’s future will be brighter than ever!”
With that, he handed the captain’s armband to Wang Lie.
Wang Lie looked down at the orange-red armband, took it with both hands, and then addressed his new teammates for the first time as Tyne’s captain:
“I said everything yesterday. Now I only want to say this... Survival is definitely not our goal! We should aim for a bigger stage!”
The entire team erupted into louder chaos than before!
Not only were the teammates opposite him looking as if they had seen a ghost, but the coaching staff and the three captains behind him were also staring at Wang Lie in disbelief.
※※※
“Dean! Focus! Concentrate!!”
“Vitini, quicker! Keep the pace up!”
“Good pass!”
“Yeah, just like that!”
During the attack and defense drills, Wang Lie’s voice echoed across the field, just like during yesterday’s internal match.
Only this time he wasn’t only addressing Sonny Dean but the entire team. Of course, he called Dean’s name more times than anyone else—after all, Dean’s training attitude was the biggest problem.
During a break, assistant coach Varo asked McNeil, “Has Wang ever taken coaching certification?”
McNeil laughed, knowing why Varo asked that. “I did ask him something similar once. That was... nine years ago.”
“Nine years ago? What’s so special about that?” Varo scoffed, disappointed by McNeil’s answer.
McNeil was unfazed and continued, “I was already preparing for my coaching license. For some reason, in the Soful United locker room, the topic came up, so I casually asked Wang if he’d considered coaching after retirement. Because even back then, Wang liked giving orders during training…”
Varo asked, “Like now?”
“Yeah, Wang was always the loudest one on the training ground at Soful United,” McNeil nodded. “I remember Wang firmly told me he wasn’t thinking about post-retirement yet because he hadn’t retired. He didn’t like preparing a backup plan in advance; as a player, he focused only on playing.”
“So, if he were to get a coaching license, it would only be after retirement?”
“Exactly.”
“But that was his answer nine years ago…”
“Ha, Cesar, do you think Wang now is the same as nine years ago?”
Cesar Varo looked at Wang Lie chatting with teammates in the rest area and sighed, “I think we got ourselves an extra coach…”
McNeil said, “Isn’t that great? I think Gotz made the right call—this kind of scene never happened when he was captain. Wang is truly a born leader.”
“Of course, I’m not complaining…” Varo clarified, then asked, “Sam, what do you think Wang meant by ‘bigger stage’?”
“What else? European competition, obviously.” McNeil answered casually.
“Do you think Tyne... can really reach that?”
McNeil shook his head, “Don’t know. Let’s try. The club’s goal for us is survival. If we end up qualifying for European competition, that means we’ve also secured survival.”
※※※
“Hey, what do you guys think Wang meant by ‘bigger stage’?”
After training ended, Sonny Dean just reached the locker room door when he heard someone ask inside.
He happened to push open the door.
Inside, some glanced at him but quickly looked away, clearly more engaged in the lively discussion.
“What else could it be? Obviously European competition! No one calls a mid-table league finish a bigger stage, right?”
“Maybe Wang hopes the team can finish seventh by the end of the season so we might qualify for the Europa Conference League…”
“Europa Conference League? Wang would even settle for that? I feel like he wouldn’t even care about the Europa League…”
“So what if he doesn’t care? With our current points, if we get Europa Conference League qualification, we should thank God!”
The discussion was heated, and Dean felt awkward standing by the door.
He was almost traumatized by Wang Lie. Just hearing or seeing him made him uncomfortable.
He had no choice but to face that old rascal on the training ground.
But now that training was over, why was everyone in the locker room still talking about Wang Lie every other sentence?
Remember, that old rascal and Vitini, those two fools, were still training extra outside. Wang shouldn’t even be here!
Right now, the locker room atmosphere should be about what to eat tonight, where to hang out, who was the hottest girl around, any good new music, or online gaming plans…
That’s the normal team vibe!
Not this—everyone obsessing over Wang Lie, dissecting every little thing he said.
Why? He’s not the sun; we don’t have to orbit him!
What’s more, just as he pushed open the locker room door, he heard everyone talking about Wang Lie.
If he had overheard it earlier, he would have turned around and left.
But now, standing at the entrance, would leaving suddenly seem... too obvious? Like he was afraid of that old rascal!
Tsk, no way. He couldn’t lose at a time like this!
Thinking this, Dean feigned nonchalance and walked in, pushing through the lively crowd straight to his locker to change.
His movements were noticeably quicker than usual. He didn’t even shower, just stripped off his training gear and started putting on his clothes.
In this “Wang-saturated” locker room, he didn’t want to stay a second longer!
As Dean quickly changed, the discussion inside grew even more intense.
“Why can’t it be the Champions League?”
This sudden question quieted the locker room for a moment.
Even Dean paused his actions and looked up to see who said it.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Matej Katic.
The former world’s top central defender, who had come to Tyne from the top club Madrid FC to wind down his career, faced their gaze and repeated his question:
“Why can’t it be the Champions League? Do you really think Wang sees the Europa Conference League as a ‘bigger stage’?”
The team’s main right-back Jacob Barnabas said, “Matej’s right. Wang probably doesn’t consider the Europa Conference League a bigger stage; he might not even care about the Europa League. But... do you think with our current level, we can make the Champions League?”
His words were met with nods of agreement.
“Yeah, doesn’t Wang know that?”
“Has he not switched from the big-club mentality? Does he really think we’re on the same level as Soful United?”
“Hey, Soful United hasn’t made the Champions League either.”
“It’s hard to understand…” Matej answered, “Logically, Wang should know that setting unrealistic goals isn’t good for the team—what’s the point of an unattainable target? But I also don’t believe he thinks the Europa Conference League is a bigger stage. So…”
Matej shrugged, unsure what else to say.
Wang Lie’s words, like the man himself, were hard to judge.
Put kindly, it was a “bird’s eye can’t understand the eagle’s ambition” kind of thing.
Put less kindly, it was “arrogance,” “showmanship,” or “mystification.”
Matej couldn’t explain why Wang set such a target, but his mention of the Champions League stirred the locker room into even more lively debate.
Someone started discussing it seriously.
“Champions League… that means finishing in the top four? Who’s in the top four now?”
One asked; another answered, “Hackney Knights, Clayton Athletic, Skosmen, and Soful United. Soful United is fourth with 37 points.”
“Thirty-seven points doesn’t seem like much…”
“Ha! But we only have 21 points now, sixteen points behind!”
“Champions League, Champions League, Champions League... I’ve never played in it…”
“I’ve played in the Championship League... in England... ha!”
Silently listening, Sonny Dean wanted to shout at them:
“Look in the mirror! Does this lousy team even have the right to dream of the Champions League?”
He couldn’t understand how Wang Lie’s casual remark could cause such a stir and make so many people obsessed with the idea of playing in the Champions League.
A bunch of lunatics!
He hurriedly stuffed all his clothes into his bag, zipped it up, slung it over his shoulder, and turned to leave.
He wasn’t about to go crazy with them!
No one cared about Dean’s departure except Elliott Gotz, who kept his eyes on Dean’s back until he disappeared through the locker room door.
Normally, Dean rushing out would be no big deal—maybe he was eager to meet some girl he’d arranged to meet online.
But Gotz, familiar with every teammate and possessing keen intuition, sensed something was wrong.
If Dean were normal, he’d be mocking Wang Lie’s arrogance as much as yesterday.
Instead, during the heated discussion, Dean silently packed and left without a word.
※※※
“Wang, when you said ‘bigger stage,’ you meant European competition, right?”
During extra training after the session, Vitini finally asked the question he’d been holding back all practice to his idol.
Wang Lie nodded, “Of course, European competition.”
Vitini frowned. “But we were knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup…”
On the same day Wang Lie caused a scene on the pitch by refusing to be substituted by Helden, Tyne lost 1-2 away to the Championship side McField Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup.
An English Premier League team losing to a Championship team was somewhat of an upset.
However, Wang Lie’s incident became the headline news in British football, so Tyne’s defeat barely caused ripples, only affecting Newcastle and McField.
Besides, Tyne’s goal this season was survival; the FA Cup was unimportant compared to that.
Losing might even be a blessing, sparing Tyne from juggling multiple competitions.
As for the League Cup, Tyne had been eliminated even earlier—in the fourth round at the end of December.
So, to play European competition next season, regardless of which cup, qualification would have to come through the league.
This was extremely difficult.
Wang Lie reassured him, “It doesn’t matter. The FA Cup winner can’t enter the Champions League anyway.”
“Right, they can’t... huh?” Vitini looked at Wang Lie in surprise. “So, when you said ‘bigger stage,’ you meant the Champions League?!”
Wang Lie shrugged, “What else? Europa Conference League, Europa League—what kind of bigger stage is that?”
Vitini was stunned and stammered, “We… could we… participate in the Champions League?”
Wang Lie shrugged again, “Why not?”
“But… we only have 21 points now…”
“Don’t count the points, Vitini. Just focus on what’s in front of you. Train hard during practice, fight for victory in every match. Keep winning, one after another.”
“Really… really possible?” Vitini was still uncertain.
Wang Lie said seriously, “If you doubt, then it definitely won’t happen.”
Vitini quickly shook his head, “I believe, I believe, I believe you can lead us to victory, Wang!”
Wang Lie shook his head, “Not believing me, but believing yourself. Football is a team sport. I can’t do anything alone. If I’m the only one, or if only a few believe we can win while others don’t, we still won’t win.”
Vitini looked worried, “But Wang, didn’t you see everyone’s reactions? Many seemed scared of you during training today. So maybe… in this team, those who believe we can win are really just a few.”
Wang Lie was unconcerned, “There has to be an adjustment period. Take it slow; the second half of the season has just started. And there’s one more crucial thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Just talking won’t convince anyone. It lacks persuasiveness. We have to prove through action that we can win.”
“Prove by action?”
“Yeah.” Wang Lie nodded. “Before others believe we can win, we have to actually win.”
※※※
Vitini’s father noticed his son was unusually excited from the moment he got home until dinner, so he asked curiously, “Did something special happen at training today?”
Vitini nodded eagerly, “Wang became the team captain!”
His father wasn’t surprised. “With his reputation and status, it would be surprising if he weren’t among Tyne’s captains.”
“No, Dad, not just any captain—the first captain! Gotz handed the armband to Wang directly!” Vitini emphasized, sensing his dad didn’t fully grasp how monumental this was.
His father was amazed, eyes wide, then shook his head in admiration, “That’s something he would do, something he can do—Gotz is a true team-first man.”
Vitini added, “And right after receiving the armband, Wang told the whole team that survival isn’t our goal; we should aim for a bigger stage! The team was shocked! Can you imagine that, Dad? When he said it, the entire training ground went wild. Even our coaches and Gotz, who just passed him the armband, looked at him like this…”
Vitini mimicked the stunned expression he’d seen, eyes wide, head tilted, mouth twisted, as if seeing a ghost.
His father laughed, “Wang really is… ha! Really is… ha!”
Vitini continued, “Later during extra training, I asked Wang what he meant by ‘bigger stage.’ He said European competition. I was upset we got knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup, but Wang comforted me, saying ‘It doesn’t matter; the FA Cup winner can’t enter the Champions League anyway!’”
His father’s laughter abruptly stopped, “He said the Champions League?”
“Yes, that’s what he meant by ‘bigger stage’!” Vitini clenched his fists excitedly.
Seeing his son so fired up, his father frowned, “Did you forget how we were ‘tricked’ into coming to Tyne? Wasn’t it because of the Champions League?”
Before coming to Europe, Vitini had already been a highly sought-after Brazilian prodigy among many European clubs, including top clubs.
But surprisingly, Vitini chose Tyne, a mid-to-lower table English Premier League club.
Why?
Partly because Tyne, backed by Middle Eastern oil owners, offered too much.
But also because they were attracted by Tyne’s ambitious plan:
Tyne promised the eighteen-year-old Vitini a starting spot in the first team, unlike other big clubs that would sign then loan him out.
Tyne also guaranteed the club would compete in the Champions League within three seasons.
A wealthy, ambitious club promising him a starter spot—Vitini and his father thought this was the perfect start in Europe.
Who would’ve thought… besides the money and starting spot, the Champions League ambition was brutally shattered by reality.
Vitini’s father always believed Tyne had deliberately made unrealizable promises just to snatch his son from other suitors.
They had been deceived by Tyne!
This was why they never negotiated a contract extension after four seasons and wanted to leave.
His father didn’t want his son trapped in Tyne’s quicksand.
At just twenty-two, with the right choice of club, the future was still promising!
Tyne was clearly not the right choice.
Vitini understood his father’s worries but told him, “Honestly, I also think getting the Champions League spot is hard. That means finishing in the top four. But… I’m willing to believe in Wang and fight with him.”
“Why? Just because he’s your idol?”
Vitini shook his head, “No, Dad, it’s not that simple. Am I some blind fan? Wang told me, to make others believe we can win, you first have to actually win…”
“That sounds like nonsense at first, but when you think about it, it makes some sense.” His father nodded thoughtfully. People tend to follow those who deliver on their promises.
“Right? Ha! That’s why I believe Wang. Because he said we’d make the Champions League, and he actually did it!”