After the little interlude on the road, Ling Feng continued riding and soon returned to his home on the outskirts.
“I’m back!”
Seeing Ling Feng stepping into the house, his mother Julia immediately trotted from the living room, full of smiles, and gave him a big hug!
Twenty years ago, his father Ling Shan came from the distant East to study at the University of Leicester and met his mother.
The two fell in love at first sight, immediately plunged into the river of love, and soon entered the hall of marriage.
Two years later, Ling Feng was born.
As the only child in the family, Ling Feng had been pampered since childhood.
Since he proposed to become a professional football player, his parents had always stood behind him, unreservedly supporting him.
Ling Feng’s mother, Julia, was a local born and raised in Leicestershire, a very gentle woman.
While taking Ling Feng’s backpack, Julia reached out and touched her son’s face, saying with heartache:
“Why have you gotten darker again?
Is training very hard?”
“It’s okay…”
“You haven’t had breakfast yet, right?
I just made it, come and eat!”
“Okay.”
Being pulled by his mother to the dining room, Ling Feng saw his dad sitting at the head of the table.
Wearing a white shirt and black-framed glasses, dressed like an intellectual, Ling Shan saw Ling Feng but didn’t put down the financial newspaper in his hands.
He just raised his chin at him and greeted:
“Son, welcome home.”
Returning a smile, Ling Feng then smoothly sat down on the seat on the right side of the dining table.
The breakfast on the dining table was very sumptuous.
Besides Western-style bacon, sausage, and fried eggs, there was also Chinese-style millet porridge, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, shumai, and salted duck eggs!
Looking at these strange yet familiar Chinese breakfasts, Ling Feng, who had been eating nutritional meals at the youth team for days, suddenly had a huge appetite.
“Son, try this!”
“This steamed bun is so delicious!
This shumai is also delicious!”
“Eat slowly, no one is fighting you for it!”
Just as Ling Feng was happily enjoying his mom’s cooking, the phone in his pants pocket suddenly vibrated.
The ringtone subsequently sounded.
Putting down his chopsticks and taking out his phone, Ling Feng saw an unknown number on the screen.
“Hello?”
In the next second, a slightly hoarse male voice came from the other end of the phone:
“Ling, it’s me, Walsh.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“Coach?”
The caller was exactly the first team’s assistant manager and chief scout, Steve Walsh.
Before Ling Feng could speak, the other party announced news that didn’t surprise him in the slightest:
“Mr.
Pearson wants me to tell you, report to the first team tomorrow!”
…
Regarding the good news of their son being promoted to the first team, both Ling Shan and Julia were very happy.
After spending a relaxing and warm day at home, the next morning, Ling Feng rode his bike back to the Belvoir Drive base to prepare for his first-team career.
Under the personal guidance of assistant manager Steve Walsh, Ling Feng came to the first team’s dressing room for the first time.
“Starting today, Ling will be a member of the first team.
Let’s welcome him with applause…”
With manager Pearson’s announcement, everyone in the Leicester City first team, led by captain Wes Morgan, started applauding.
Regarding Ling Feng’s promotion to the first team, the first team members were not surprised at all.
With his stunning performance in the FA Cup the previous match, he totally had the ability to establish a foothold in the first team!
Therefore, apart from a few competing midfielders whose expressions could not be called enthusiastic, the other players warmly welcomed Ling Feng’s joining.
It is worth mentioning that Jamal, the black defensive midfielder who made his first-team debut with him in the FA Cup, did not stay in the first team but returned to the youth team.
Including Ling Feng, the midfielder who had just been promoted to the first team, there were a total of five midfielders in the entire first team.
Leicester City’s tactical formation primarily utilized a flat 4-4-2.
In other words, there were only two central midfielders starting each game.
And in the first half of the Championship season, the two central midfield positions were rotated among the other four midfielders in the team.
Among them, Danny Drinkwater, a product of the Manchester United academy, was the undisputed core of the midfield.
Because of his interesting name, this bro was given a very fitting nickname by Chinese fans: “Drink Water Bro!”
Matty James, another young midfielder also from the Manchester United academy, was Drinkwater’s midfield partner.
The passing, organization, and defensive interceptions of these two former Manchester United academy players in midfield were one of the reasons why Leicester City was able to secure the top spot in the Championship this season.
The remaining two midfield rotation players were Andy King, “our own boy” who had been at Leicester City for ten years and was deeply loved by fans, and Dean Hammond, a veteran midfielder who transferred from Premier League side Southampton this season.
There are 24 teams participating in the Championship league, with a total of 46 rounds of matches.
Compared to the Premier League’s 38 rounds, plus cup competitions like the League Cup and FA Cup, the Championship match schedule was even more dense.
Therefore, having a roster of five midfielders was actually just right.
“That’s your spot.”
As a newcomer newly promoted to the first team, Ling Feng’s spot was in the farthest corner on the right side of the dressing room.
Inside a locker hung a number 23 jersey.
And above the locker was a plaque with “LING” printed on it.
This was Ling Feng’s exclusive space in the first-team dressing room!
It is worth mentioning that right next to him was Mahrez, who had just transferred over.
“Welcome to the first team, mate.”
“Thanks.”
“After changing clothes, gather on the training pitch.”
Leaving this sentence behind, the manager and assistant manager turned and walked out of the dressing room.
At this time, Wes Morgan, acting as captain, used his deep, resonant voice and spoke:
“Ling, introduce yourself so everyone can get to know you, how about that?”
Hearing this, Ling Feng was stunned at first, but then unhesitatingly stood up and came to the center of the dressing room.
Looking around at everyone, without the slightest bit of a newcomer’s shyness or apprehension, he just opened his arms and spoke clearly neither haughtily nor humbly:
“Morning, guys.
My name is Ling Feng, you can call me Ling, whether off or on the pitch.”
“I hope to learn how to play games from everyone here, and fight side by side with you all to pursue victories and contribute my part to this team.”
“Thank you.”
This poised, generous, and modest speech earned applause from everyone.
At the same time, it also bred some puzzlement and doubt in the hearts of many:
He didn’t look like an eighteen-year-old kid who had just been promoted to the first team at all, but more like a veteran player who had been through storms and transferred from another club.
As for whether this kid could continue to stay in the first team and fight side by side with them, that would depend on his performance on the pitch…
While putting on his football boots, Ling Feng observed everyone in the dressing room.
In his opinion, it would be somewhat difficult for him to become a main starter in the first team’s midfield.
Even if he possessed prime De Bruyne’s passing technique and vision, completely capable of the responsibility of orchestrating attacks in midfield.
However, his running and defensive abilities were completely inferior to the other four midfielders.
And in this flat 4-4-2 tactical formation, the two midfielders had to be able to go up and down the pitch; they needed to both organize passes and possess active running and defensive capabilities.
His running ability was passable.
But as for his defensive contribution, that would basically be at the bottom of the whole team.
And Ling Feng believed that his best position was not as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder, but as an attacking midfielder!
Just like in the previous match against Stoke City, with two midfielders behind him providing protection and sweeping up, he could fully unleash his attacking talent without any worries.
However, in the flat 4-4-2 formation, there was no position for an attacking midfielder.
And since Leicester City was having smooth sailing in the league, there was no need for the manager to rashly change tactics and formations.
Modern football tactics are very complex and involve a wide range of factors.
Even changing just one position could very likely affect the whole setup.
So, under the premise that he couldn’t make the manager change tactics and formations for him, Ling Feng knew very well that if he wanted to get playing time, he had to work hard to adapt to the team’s tactics and style of play, and then strive to fully express himself during his time as a substitute.
As long as he performed excellently on the pitch, everything would be easy to talk about.
After all, in the cruel world of competitive sports, lacking skill is the most unpardonable original sin!
(END CHAPTER)