Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 193



Only Krnovel

193 The Unique Goalkeeper

A friendly match against Real Betis, and the last evaluation match before the start of the league ended in a 2:2 draw.

It was an uneasy final evaluation match for Manchester United, but most fans who attended the stadium seemed satisfied.

“Kim. You made a surprise appearance in today’s game. How did you feel about your first game for Manchester United?”

Manager Giovanni De Luca had hinted before the game that I would not be playing today.

So, everyone didn’t have any expectations, but when I showed up, they were happy and surprised, surprised and happy.

“I didn’t feel like I had a good rapport with the players when I first joined Manchester. I plan to gradually improve.”

The reporters’ faces became filled with emotion at my answer. They were amazed, their eyes turned red, etc.

Are you all Man U fans?

“So, from Kim’s perspective, today’s game was the one where he didn’t get along with his teammates the best? He didn’t adapt to the team at all.”

“… … Hmm. It may sound too negative to say that, but that’s how it is for now. It’ll get better with time.”

“Kim’s second half performance today was incredible, despite not being able to get the ball rolling with his teammates and Manchester United still being awkward. Is this really Kim’s lowest point?”

What is this surprise worship?

I scratched my cheek, puzzled by the question.

“Yes. To be honest, I am not at all satisfied with today’s game. I will show a better performance when the league starts.”

My answer made some reporters look like they were about to cry. … Why are you all like this?

“In the first half, our existing goalie, Onana, took over, and in the second half, Kim took over. Is there anything you want to say about Onana?”

It was a question that seemed to be asking me to criticize Onana for only allowing two runs in the first half. I never got caught up in it.

“He’s a great goalkeeper. It’s nice to have a teammate like him.”

“If Onana is a great goalkeeper, what kind of goalkeeper is Kim?”

Ah. My personality is showing again.

“He is a one-of-a-kind goalkeeper.”

The reporters giggled like children at my confident answer. So cute…

* *

I am getting special treatment at Manchester United.

Almost all of it was thanks to H&B.

Of course, H&B is not a volunteer organization, and they will receive a huge commission for successfully completing this negotiation, so it was a win-win structure for both parties.

“Mom, so when are we moving in?”

I said as I looked out the window at the view of Manchester. It was a familiar sight now, but no matter how much I looked at it, it was still unfamiliar.

It looks exactly like something out of an animation.

“It will take about a month or two. Why, son? Don’t you like it here?”

I looked at my mom and shook my head.

“No. It’s just that. If I stay here too long, it’ll take a long time to adjust.”

The hotel we were staying at was a five-star hotel. The exterior of the building was an old-fashioned building that looked like it had been built in the 1800s, there was a swimming pool in the basement, and the rooms were incredibly spacious.

Of course, Manchester United will cover all of the living expenses. Now that I’m earning not just hundreds of millions but hundreds of millions of dollars, it doesn’t matter if I pay for it myself… … But since they’re giving it to me, I have to accept it.

In fact, Manchester will cover not only the cost of our stay but also the entire cost of our residence. They won’t buy us a house, but will ‘rent’ it until our contract with Manchester ends.

“I told you that you’re really good at your job….”

They negotiated well from the small details to the important parts to our advantage. In addition, they held the leash of terminating the contract at any time without penalty, so H&B had no reason to be lazy.

KakaoTalk!

I checked the cell phone on the table. I thought it was my brother’s, but it wasn’t.

I sat in the rocking chair and checked my KakaoTalk messages.

[Kim Jun-young: Brother. Can you contact me? I have something I want to discuss with you.]

[Kim Min-woo: Why?]

It seems that Kim Jun-young has finally received an offer from Manchester. Kim Jun-young sent a detailed and detailed message describing how surprised he was by the offer.

How surprising it must have been for him, who was trying to prove himself by joining a small club in Europe, to receive an offer from Manchester United, perhaps the club of his dreams and the destination that all players aspire to be.

But there’s something this guy still doesn’t know.

[Kim Min-woo: That’s what I made a deal with Manchester United to offer you.]

Kim Jun-young read the message and did not respond for a long time.

And then about 3 minutes later, a reply came.

[Kim Jun-young: Yes? No, hyung. Is it true?]

[Kim Min-woo: Yeah]

[Kim Min-woo: Otherwise, why would Manchester United make an offer to a K-League striker?]

[Kim Jun-young: Oh… that’s true.]

And I briefly explained the whole story to Kim Jun-young. I saw potential in you, and I became convinced of that potential after two consecutive national team matches… … That was the summary.

Kim Jun-young looked quite touched. If it had been a phone call instead of a text message, he probably would have cried.

[Kim Jun-young: Brother… Wow… I will truly be loyal to you]

[Kim Jun-young: Wow… Can I brag to Seung-woo hyung?]

[Kim Min-woo: Don’t do it. You’ll be jealous of that person.]

[Kim Jun-young: Yes, brother! I will take this matter to the grave!]

[Kim Min-woo: If someone asks you, you have to say you don’t know. And there’s nothing to be too excited about. You’ve been offered a place in the first team, but once you join Manchester United, you’ll start from the reserves.]

[Kim Jun-young: Reserve?]

[Kim Min-woo: Huh]

Every club has a second team that it operates separately.

Hannover was like that, Manchester United was like that, and K-League teams will be like that too.

And for a giant like Manchester United, even the second team is incredibly large.

In addition, the EPL is such a large league that it even has a league for the second division teams, and Kim Jun-young will probably join the Manchester United reserves and play for a Premier League 2 team.

I told him about the reserve league that Kim Jun-young would be playing in based on the information I found out.

18 EPL teams, 9 Championship teams and 1 Ligue 1 team will participate, and players under the age of 21 will participate, but each team can have 5 outfield players and goalkeepers can play without age restrictions.

[Kim Jun-young: Then, what is the league level, hyung?]

[Kim Min-woo: I heard it’s 4-5 parts based on UK standards? I’m not sure.]

[Kim Jun-young: Huh? Part 4 or 5? Not part 2 or 3, but part 4 or 5?]

[Kim Min-woo: Why? Easy?]

[Kim Jun-young: Even if it’s England, isn’t division 4 or 5 a semi-pro level? I’m still the K-League Rookie of the Year, lol.]

Well, that’s not wrong.

Kim Jun-young is currently playing very well in the K-League and is receiving offers from small and medium-sized European clubs, so if all goes as planned, the reserves will be a massacre show for Kim Jun-young.

[Kim Min-woo: Then, you play soccer in the reserves and then go straight to the first team]

[Kim Min-woo: If you show your potential, you can play as a sub in the Manchester United first team, but if not, it will end up being a loan. But I trust you, hyung.]

I believe in Kim Jun-young, but I actually believe in the effectiveness of running mates more.

[Kim Jun-young: I will definitely go up to the first team and support my brother until the Champions League finals]

[Kim Jun-young: (Emoticon showing burning passion)]

[Kim Min-woo: Hahaha]

[Kim Min-woo: Okay, I’ll watch over you. Come join us quickly~]

[Kim Jun-young: Yes, hyung!]

First of all, since you’re joining the first team, the salary you’ll receive will be considerably higher than if you were to join another small or medium-sized team.

[Kim Min-woo: But are you studying English?]

[Kim Jun-young: Of course, hyung. Nice to meet you. Good morning. How are you.]

[Kim Min-woo: Haha, try harder]

[Kim Jun-young: Yes!]

You’re going to have a hard time coming to England.

However, language study is essential. Before soccer, you need to be able to communicate and develop camaraderie.

* * *

I have only experienced one professional club, Hannover. So, I couldn’t help but compare Manchester United’s training methods to Hannover’s.

“Damn. I’m going to die… .”

It’s harder than you think.

I heard from Onana, who is in the same position, that Giovanni’s Manchester training is quite intense.

“Aren’t you going to take the goalkeeper out…?”

“Haha, Kim. Don’t expect that from Giovanni. That director hates exceptions more than anything.”

“I suddenly miss Hanover… .”

“Me too. Every time I train, I miss my old teams like crazy.”

Even though our positions overlapped and we were competitors, Onana and I never got jealous of each other or engaged in a war of nerves.

The gap in skill was as big as the gap between space and land… .

And this hard training method had very clear pros and cons.

Although it greatly improves the physical condition of players before a game, the risk of injury also increases significantly.

And I did.

Maybe it was because I had lived in Germany for two years before coming to England, or maybe it was because I was used to the Hanover system and then had a hard time adjusting to the Manchester system, but I twisted my ankle during training.

“Kim―!”

When I lay down while training, the coaches came running in shock. In an instant, the medical team arrived, and even though I told them that I just sprained my leg, I had to rush to the local hospital for a thorough examination… … .

‘Isn’t special treatment always a good thing?’

The doctor’s opinion was that it was a stress fracture. A very minor stress fracture.

He said that I would feel better if I just applied ice, avoided strenuous training, and rested for a week or two without having to go to the cast.

The coaches breathed a sigh of relief, but the opening game was still about a week away.

‘I think it’ll get better if I just ice it for 2~3 days…’

Even 1-2 weeks feels like overtreatment.

Well, my price is my price.

A goalkeeper with a market value of 301 billion!

Even this was criticized by most experts as an underestimated amount, and many experts guaranteed that if Manchester United were to sell Kim to another team, it would be for at least 500 billion won.

‘I was so surprised when they said the buyout would go over tens of billions of dollars…’

My buyout amount was a whopping 1.9 trillion won. If another club wanted to negotiate with me on their own without negotiating with Manchester United, they would have to pay Manchester United a transfer fee of a whopping 1.9 trillion won.

It was a sum that clearly showed what Manchester United thought of me.

So maybe the current fuss isn’t an overreaction.

“Ugh.”

By the way, the trait was disappointing. The trait ‘Adrenaline’ obtained after winning the Bundesliga was only activated during the match, so it was defenseless in training situations or outside of the match.

Well, there are still a lot of trophies to lift and a lot of time left in my career as a player, so I can probably collect more traits. Maybe one day I’ll get a trait that prevents injuries during training.

“Kim. Are you okay? How is your ankle?”

The coaches treated me like a little kid who had been left out to water when I returned to the clubhouse. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of this.

“It’s okay. I recover quickly, so I’ll get better in just 2-3 days of treatment.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard anymore. If you feel unwell, just tell me right away. Okay?”

“yes.”

Giovanni hates exceptions more than anyone else, so should I be an exception? We’ll find out if we keep watching.

* * *

Injuries have been a constant in Manchester, especially since Giovanni took over.

“Kim suffered a minor ankle injury. It seems unlikely that he will be able to play in the opening match.”

A unilateral announcement from the medical team. Giovanni De Luca sighed.

“Fuck.”

Giovanni also saw Kim’s performance clearly. The second half against Real Betis. If Onana had continued to play, the score would have been 2:3, or even 2:4. That was a dismal performance.

The first match was especially important for Manchester United as it was the opening match of the EPL this season.

‘We absolutely have to win the first match.’

The opening win was important for all teams, as it showed fans how to get off to a good start in the league.

“I’m not trying to tell you what to do with your training program, but how about lowering the intensity a little? Players often get injured in training situations.”

Giovanni frowned at the medical team’s admonition.

“It’s natural to increase the intensity of training before the league starts.”

“Even if it’s not just before the league opening, but usually… … No. I was talking nonsense.”

The medical team member hurriedly backed away when he saw Giovanni’s displeased expression. Giovanni sighed and stroked his beard.

Actually, it wasn’t just Kim.

The league hasn’t even started yet, but there are already signs here and there that players are about to be sidelined due to injuries.

One man was out for at least a few weeks after a perfume bottle fell on his leg while shaving at home, another hurt his groin during a match between the Blues and Whites, and yet another fell on his own during training and injured his shoulder.

Here, Kim was notified by the medical team that he cannot play in the opening match, even though it was a minor injury…

“There’s nothing going on, and they keep putting off recruiting players. Oh my.”

.

.

A few more days passed like that.

Giovanni, who was wrapping his head around the opening match lineup, received urgent news.

“Coach, the medical team has determined that Kim’s injury has fully recovered. They have cleared him to play in the opening game!”

The urgent news that came out of nowhere and came to the director’s office. Giovanni opened his eyes wide at the news and covered his mouth with his hand. Good, right?

“Kim said she had quick recovery powers, and it really was!”

“That’s fortunate.”

Giovanni nodded and removed ‘Onana’ from the bottom of the opening lineup and put ‘Kim Min-woo’ in. It was a natural thing to do.