Chapter 130
Special Training
Chapter 130 Special Training (Transitional Chapter)
After the game, Jiang Yan lay panting on the grass of White Hart Lane Stadium.
"These Tottenham guys are really tough to deal with. They've been battling it out in midfield for a full half hour, without even a chance to catch their breath —"
He wiped the sweat from his face and was about to get up.
The familiar mechanical sound came again.
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, for completing the mission and successfully defeating Tottenham Hotspur! You have obtained the Tottenham Hotspur star skill pack!]
[Start now?]
Upon hearing about the system's reward, he sat up abruptly, his eyes brimming with undisguised excitement.
Tottenham is different from Burnley, which was a team with a glorious past.
Football gentleman Gary Lineker, White Hart Lane darling Paul Gascoigne, Golden Bomber Jürgen Klinsmann, and current stars like Bale, Modric, and Kane.
Regardless of whose skill he gets randomly, it will be a significant boost for him.
Jiang Yan rubbed his hands together, and after confirming that no one was around, he said in a deep voice, "Activate!"
The next second, a dozen or so black figures appeared in front of him again.
"As expected of a traditionally powerful family, they have so many renowned figures!"
Without much thought, he chose the darkest shadow closest to him.
The moment they touched, an overwhelming energy swept through Jiang Yan's body. Countless images of contesting headers and scoring goals flashed through his mind. He felt his waist, abdomen, and neck muscles suddenly tighten, as if they had been tempered and refined in a very short time.
The system's voice then sounded.
[Congratulations on obtaining the "Tottenham Hotspur legend, the Golden Bomber, Jürgen Klinsmann's Diving Header" skill pack.]
[A diving header, Klinsmann's signature skill; the power and accuracy of his headers have improved!]
Your heading rating has been increased from 55 to 75!
Jiang Yan was overjoyed.
Although it's not Kane's shooting style, Klinsmann's heading ability is a good addition for Jiang Yan now.
It not only filled the weakest link, but also enriched its arsenal.
Although he is not currently the finisher of Liverpool's heading tactics, things could change during the upcoming international break.
With Klinsmann's heading skills, combined with the "God's Eye View," this will become one of his biggest weapons!
Just then, Mane's voice came.
"Hey bro, the reporters over there are waiting to interview you. Go on, you're the hero who pulled off the comeback!"
The next day, Jiang Yan woke up at her home in Liverpool.
Sky Sports and The Guardian published articles simultaneously.
"In three rounds of matches, Jiang has already scored three goals and provided three assists! It's hard to see where his ceiling is!"
"People used to compare him to Beckham, but this genius from China doesn't see himself as Beckham's replacement. He uses one brilliant performance after another to tell his fans, 'I am just Jiang Yan!'"
In the upcoming fourth round of the league, after finishing a grueling three-game away stretch, Liverpool will host defending champions Leicester City at home!
But that's a story for another time.
Over the next 10 days or so, the national team players will return to their respective national teams to participate in the continental qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
In September, the Chinese national team has two matches: an away game against Syria on September 1st and a home game against South Korea on September 6th.
Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Iran.
These four teams belong to the traditional four strong teams in Asia, and the Chinese team is about to face one of them, South Korea.
Jiang Yan originally planned to fly back to China immediately after the match against Tottenham, but Klopp insisted that Jiang Yan stay for another day.
Although he didn't say exactly why, Klopp wouldn't do something so wrong as to harm himself.
When he drove to the training ground, Klopp was already waiting for him in the parking lot.
"Hey Jiang, your parking skills are getting better and better."
Jiang Yan scratched his head awkwardly after getting out of the car.
"All the hard work over this period of time has paid off."
Klopp patted Jiang Yan on the shoulder with a smile, a hint of joy in his eyes: "Come with me, I've arranged a special training session for you today."
"Special training?"
Jiang Yan, filled with doubt, followed Klopp through the training base corridor and into the conference room.
The moment the door opened, a tall, imposing figure turned around. Upon seeing the other person's face, Jiang Yan's eyes widened instantly.
"John—Mr. Barnes!?"
John Barnes, a legendary Liverpool winger and English football icon, has played in two World Cups and left countless classic moments in both the Premier League and the World Cup. His footwork, vision, and experience in major World Cup tournaments make him a textbook example of football prowess, and he is one of the few technically gifted players in England.
"Mr. John, this is Jiang, whom I mentioned to you." Klopp stepped forward and said with a smile, "Jiang, this is your mentor for today, Mr. John."
"Hello, Mr. John!" Jiang Yan quickly extended his hand, his tone full of respect. He had great respect for such a legendary player.
Barnes smiled and shook his hand, his gaze gentle yet scrutinizing: "I've watched your games at Real Madrid, and I was there yesterday against Tottenham. You're very talented. Klopp asked me to give you some pointers. Although you'll be England's enemy once you get into the World Cup, I've decided to give you a few pointers for Liverpool's sake."
Upon hearing Barnes' words, Jiang Yan was startled. He finally understood Klopp's intention, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
He thought Klopp had just called him over for a simple pre-match reminder, but he never expected that Klopp would actually invite a Liverpool legend to train him alone.
As the day went by, Jiang Yan learned a lot about the specifics of participating in the World Cup from the veteran Barnes, and at the same time, he realized how heavy the responsibility was on his shoulders.
Not only that, he also taught Jiang Yan his signature move from back then: a sudden stop and cross.
Although I didn't get the skill pack, this kind of instruction and guidance is something the system can't provide.
After saying goodbye to Barnes and Klopp, Jiang Yan finally boarded the private plane back to China.
"China...I'm here! The World Cup...I'm here!"
Jiang Yan has not yet returned to China, but online discussions about the World Cup qualifiers have intensified.
The Chinese national team and Syria's squad strength are not far apart. With Jiang Shen (a famous Chinese coach), our squad is even more impressive than Syria's!
That being said, Syria also has quite a few rising stars in its squad, especially that winger wearing number 22—Omar Khribin!
That's right, it's rumored he'll be transferring from the Concord team soon!
[At such a young age, he's already the national team's top scorer. Looking forward to his duel with Jiang Yan!]
[Stop talking, your Uncle Jiang will just crush him!]