Godfather Of Champions

George Wood is injured!!!

This was the headline in The Times’s sports section. It was eye-catching. Those three exclamation points had a scary feel to them.

But no one disagreed with or did not comprehend the headline. Any England fan should know the fact that George Wood had not once missed a game due to injury in the twelve years ever since he started playing in the professional league. His only previous “injury” was a bleeding in the forehead after he collided with Makelele in the Champions League final in 07-08.

If Tony Twain had no plans in rotating, George Wood could even set a Guinness World Record for never missing a game since the start of his career. The English Premier League was probably the league tournament with the most games played in a single season in the European leagues, because they had two domestic cups to be played while the other countries only had one. Moreover, the English Premier League had no winter break. The competition schedule was intense and long. Very few players would be able to play all the games throughout the season.

When Lampard made his amazing debut at Chelsea that year and was seen as an ironman, it was because he played all fifty games for Chelsea that season and played the full ninety minutes in each game.

To be able to achieve such a result, it went without saying that his physical strength must be good. It was followed by his stable form and finally the most critical factor was that he could not be easily injured.

Lampard did it for two seasons at his peak. And George Wood did it almost every season in a decade.

No one had ever seen him exhausted with hamstring cramps on the pitch, and no one had seen him leave the game in tears because of injury. The biggest reason for him to be kept out of the game was suspension due to a red card.

During his twelve years of career, he had left several people with broken legs, and many people had left the field on stretchers. But he remained standing like an extraterrestrial being.

Nottingham Forest did not believe Wood would get hurt. It was as if he was the ancient Greek hero, Achilles who had been dipped in the water of the Styx river, impervious to injuries and invulnerable. The English fans believed that the England team’s patron saint was the embodiment of invincibility and immortality. As a dragon slayer hero, “Saint George” was sprayed with dragon blood, and naturally also had the ability not to be hurt or die.

These legends was so fitting with Wood’s personal image that everyone forgot that Wood was actually a living and breathing human being made of flesh and blood…

The image of George Wood being carried off the field on a stretcher was published in the most prominent placements in the media. Even for the reporters and fans most familiar with Wood, it must have been the first time they had seen the photograph.

Underneath the photograph were the original words of the Forest team doctor, Fleming during an interview:

“… The situation is bad. He’s got a broken big toe on his right foot… I don’t know how long it will take to recover at the moment… He’s in a stable mood…”

Fleming certainly must have known how long Wood’s recovery would take, as he had officially told Walker a three-month timeline.

However, he lied to the media because Twain had called him and asked him not to divulge the amount of time. At least before he could talk Wood first, they could not let the media know about the despairing period of “three months.”

At this point, Twain was sitting in the ward with Wood, while Sophia peeled apples for her son at the side.

“You’re the most famous man in England now, George.” Twain said with a smile to Wood, who was sitting on his hospital bed.

“Is it because I got hurt for the first time?” It looked like Wood had recovered from the shock of yesterday’s injury. At least his gaze was no longer dull looking.

“I had read some of the media comments before I came here. Some people said that the news of your injury was almost on par with the Queen’s pregnancy. Ha ha!” Twain laughed.

Wood did not smile. He just looked at Twain, who also found it a little uninspiring. So, he stopped smiling and asked, “How do you feel?”

“Where I’m hurt? It’s a little painful…”

“No, I’m asking you how you feel about this matter now.”

Wood was silent for a moment and asked a question that Twain did not know how to answer, “Do I still have any hope of playing in the UEFA European Championship?”

He must not know that his injury would require at least three months to recover.

In fact, this problem was also the reason for Twain came to find Wood. George Wood was the most important piece in his plan. It was fine for the England team to be missing any player, but it could not do without Wood. Over the past two years, Twain had been transforming the England team, making the team accustomed to using Wood as the core. Whether it was the offense or defense, it would be managed around him. George Wood was not the type of midfielder who would be the last player to send out the final threatening shot after receiving the final pass. But he was the team’s metronome. The overall performance of the team was directly linked to him. Like Albertini of his time, Sacchi had said, “Albertini sneezes and Italy catches a cold.” Wood currently held the same role as Albertini had for Italy at the time.

A shadow was cast over the England team’s prospects at the UEFA European Championship due to George Wood’s injury.

Wood read the answer to his question based on Twain’s hesitation. Then he felt unable to reconcile with this situation. He had obtained got all the honors he could receive at the club level, but he never achieved anything for the national team. Now he was already thirty years old in a blink of an eye… By the standards of a professional player in general, his career would have started to go downhill after the age of thirty. He did not know how many more years he could still play for. But the World Cup happened once every four years. He was certain that he did not have a few four-year periods to waste.

When he was younger, he encountered McClaren and Eriksson who did not like him. In the 2006 World Cup, he did not get many chances to appear while he sat on the substitutes’ bench, and the England team did not make it out of the 2008 UEFA European Championship. When he became an overnight sensation at the 2010 World Cup, he was already twenty-four years old at the time, but unfortunately, the England team ultimately went no further than the top four. He had participated in both the 2012 London Olympics and the UEFA European Championship in Ukraine and Poland. His amazing fitness let him compete in the two major events in a row without a problem. However, the team’s results were not satisfactory with only a bronze for the Olympics and top four in the UEFA European Championship. It looked like that the best result he could achieve in the national team competition was third place. At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the England team did not even make it to the top eight this time because his form was completely gone, and he played abnormally. The team stopped short of making it to top eight. He also became the object of denounce by word and pen in the English media after the games. But he did not sink into despair because his psychological quality was excellent.

After Twain became the England manager, George Wood also heralded in his most glorious period in the national team, even though he was already twenty-eight years old. He became the captain of the England team and became the playmaker of the England team. Initially, he had intended to make a big splash at the peak of his professional career at thirty years old. He wanted to win his first honor for the national team under the boss’ leadership. But he was injured two months before the start of the UEFA European Championship instead.

The gods of destiny really made fools out of people…

All his ambitions became a joke at the moment of his injury.

The failure to earn honors in the national team had always been a sore point for Wood. He was really reluctant to stay away from perhaps what would be the best opportunity of his career.

While Twain was still mulling over how to answer Wood’s question without upsetting him, Wood had already spoken.

“I’ve decided.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to participate in the UEFA European Championship.” Wood said in a calm tone.

Sophia, who was focused on peeling the apples for the two men next to them, slightly lifted her head and looked at her son.

“Huh?” Twain was still a little taken aback and said, “You’ll be thirty-four years old in four years’ time… Very well, with your physical condition, I’m sure it will be no problem for you to play till you’re forty-four years old…”

“Not the UEFA European Championship four years from now. It’s the UEFA European Championship in June.” Wood said.

“Your injury…” Twain pointed to his right foot.

“I think it will be okay in two months.”

“You don’t have any experience of being injured before. I have to listen to the doctor.” Twain shook his head and said, “I’ll go talk to the doctor later.”

“Then I’ll just get the injection.” Wood made another suggestion.

“An injection is not a cure. It just lessens your misery and pain. It can even worsen things with that method…” Twain continued to shake his head to dismiss the suggestion.

“I don’t care, I must go to Spain!” Wood argued unreasonably.

“George, how can you talk like that to Mr. Twain?” Twain was just about to open his mouth when Sophia lectured first at the side.

“It’s all right, ma’am…” Twain smiled at Sophia. He felt the heartache when he took in the deteriorating age and appearance of this beautiful woman. How breathtaking she was when he first met her in the slums. It was as if the whole world had lost its colors because of her… Uh, he was going off on a tangent.

Twain turned his attention back to Wood. “I understand how you feel, George. But you have to think about it in the long run. You still have got a long career ahead of you and I don’t want to ruin it because of a UEFA European Championship.”

“I’m already thirty years old. Isn’t this time when I will start to go downhill?”

“With your physical condition and living habits, I guarantee you can at least play till the age of forty, George.”

Wood leaned his straight body back a little and rest on the bed. He said, “I don’t think about the future now.”

Was he making the best use of his time?

Twain thought to himself that the kid, Wood was just like him with his stubborn temper. Ten horses might not be able to drag him back. It was probably not going to work to refuse him now.

“Very well, George. I have to talk to the doctor-in-charge first to find out the condition of your injury, and then decide… I assure you that I will definitely take you to Spain if there is any hope of recovery in two months. What do you think of it?”

Speaking of the devil, the attending physician, Doctor Wallace knocked on the door and came in.

He greeted the people in the room with a smile on his face and asked after Wood again before he began to examine him.

Twain made space in front of the bed and watched as the other man finished the check-up. Then he gave Doctor Wallace a look to “take a step out to talk.” The doctor caught his drift and followed Twain out.

※※※

“Is George’s injury okay?” Twain had an idea when he saw the doctor, with a renowned reputation in academia, had a smile on his face from the moment he walked in till he walked out of the door. This man was a former chairman of the UK Sports Medicine Research Institute. He had a calm expression on his face. Perhaps Wood was going to be fine. Perhaps Fleming had miscalculated?

“I don’t think it will be good for you, Mr. Twain.” Doctor Wallace smiled and shook his head.

“I see that you’ve been smiling…” Twain wondered.

“Generally speaking, Mr. Twain . . . If you see a defeated look on my face, it means that some unlucky man is going to have his leg amputated.” The smile on Wallace’s face was still there, but Twain felt the chill on his back.

“Well, that’s good news then…” muttered Twain. “How long more before he will be recovered?”

“At least three months.” Wallace extended three fingers.

It was as Fleming had predicted. Twain’s eyebrows knitted together. He hesitated for a moment and intended to ask a question. But the other man first stopped him from speaking.

“I know what you want to ask, Mr. Twain. Although I am an England fan and a Nottingham Forest fan, I will tell you that it is absolutely not possible.” He swung his arms and strengthened his tone, “George Wood is unlikely to recover before the UEFA European Championship. He will definitely not be able to play in this UEFA European Championship.”

Twain glanced sideways at the door of the ward, fearing that the doctor’s words would be heard by Wood. Then he made a gesture to Wallace to move forward and said, “Can we move further away?”

Wallace nodded and gladly agreed.

When the two men reached the end of the corridor and Twain confirmed that George Wood could no longer hear what they were talking about, he then said to Wallace, “Two months, is it possible?” He put up two fingers.

“I just told you, Mr. Twain. There is absolutely no way.”

“Really, not even the slightest possibility?” Twain stared at the other man.

Wallace did not shy away from the aggressive gaze. He said, “The toes are a very complex area. He did not sprain it. It is a fracture. Generally speaking, such an injury will take three to six months to fully recover. Even the fastest would be a little more than eight weeks. Within these two months, he could not carry out any rehabilitation training, so the muscle will naturally atrophy. You want him back on the pitch so you will need to arrange more time to let him have the rehabilitation training. The UEFA European Championship will be over by the time he can play football… That area comes into frequent contact with the football. It won’t do if it is not allowed to heal completely because a second injury can happen. It will be even more troublesome when that happens. So, I don’t recommend that you force him to come back early.”

These words were like a bucket of cold water. The last glimmer of hope in Twain’s mind was extinguished. “But George wants to play in this UEFA European Championship. He’s already thirty years old…” He muttered. It was not so much to persuade Wallace as in talking to himself.

When he saw Twain looking downcast, Wallace, who always scrupulously abided by his professional work ethic, suddenly softened a little. He spoke up, “Maybe … Well, two months is not impossible. George’s body has been very strong, which may be able to help him in his recovery. But whether he succeeds or not, you’ll need to pray for a miracle, Mr. Twain.”

Twain jerked his head up. He did not see the smile and gleaming eyes on the other man’s face. Wallace shrugged at him, “I can’t guarantee you’ll get what you want in two months’ time, Mr. Twain. I can only try my best. You also have to pray that everything will go well in his recovery process.”

“Of course!” Twain nodded excitedly. This was already the best news he had heard today.

※※※

After seeing Doctor Wallace off and returning to the ward, Wood did not ask Twain what he had discussed with the doctor, and if there were any results. Twain did not tell him that either. He just chatted casually with the two people, ate the apple that Sophia gave him. Then he got up and said goodbye.

The reporters who had been blocked by the security guards outside, surrounded Twain one by one when they saw him come out wearing his sunglasses. They wanted to hear what he had to say.

“How’s George doing, Mr. Twain?”

“Will his injury affect his participation in the UEFA European Championship in the summer?”

“Do you have anything to say about Wood’s injury, Mr. Twain?”

“George Wood is already the core of the England team. May I ask if you have prepared a second set of tactics, Mr. Twain?”

“Tony! Hey, Tony…”

“Mr. Twain, Mr. Twain, please answer my question!”

In the midst of the clamor, Twain could not even hear what questions the reporters were asking. Under the protection of the security guards, he struggled to squeeze toward his car. After he pulled open the car door, he turned to the reporters and told them, “All I can tell you is that neither George nor I have 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 all of England overnight, with various media outlets reporting news of his injury ceaselessly. The media tried ways and means to bribe the doctors, nurses and even cleaners at the Royal Hospital of Nottingham University, hoping to find out something about George Wood’s recent condition.

While the Spanish defender, Enrique, who had tackled and hurt Wood, repeatedly claimed it was unintentional and that he had called Wood after the game to apologize, the angry Englishmen did not want to let him go. Even the Newcastle United fans ran to the training base to protest his brutish foul. The media clung onto the issue, unwilling to let go and acted like they wanted to shape Enrique into a “public enemy of the people.”

The media also raised the foul to the level of a “conspiracy.” They believed that Enrique must have been directed by some people in Spain. Even the Spanish media had admitted that Enrique’s injuring of Wood would be extremely beneficial for Spain at the UEFA European Championships because England’s threat to Spain in the competition for the title was greatly reduced without Wood.

In his own column, Tony Twain lashed out with vehemence at the Newcastle United manager, Kinnear, accusing him of lacking in professional ethics, for allowing his own player to deliberately hurt the opposing player in the game and doing whatever it took to win. This time, Carl Spicer could not risk the ire of the world to mock how Twain could not remember what he had done before… Because if he were to speak on behalf of the Irish manager at Newcastle United, he would put himself on the opposite side of all of England. At that time, he would be waiting to be attacked by rotten eggs and tomatoes at home.

The poor Kinnear was powerless to defend himself. He claimed that he had not arranged for his players to deliberately target George Wood. It was just an accident on the football field and that such accidents often occurred. He should not be condemned in speech and in writing just because the injury happened to the core of the England team.

But who cared about him? Many of those who had been initially hopeful and looking forward to the England team’s prospects at the UEFA European Championship, felt like they had been drenched from head to toe with buckets of cold water. With Wood badly hurt, what was going to happen to the England team? Who was going to be responsible now that their hopes of winning the title was gone?

That would be Kinnear! And Enrique!

The matter created such a ruckus that even the Spanish media got involved. Their own player had been insulted in England and the Spanish media was very upset too. The media on both sides officially went to war.

William Hill made some adjustments to the original odds that had been offered, with the England team’s odds of winning the title going from 1 to 7 to 1 to 9. They did not do this very often, which only implied how important George Wood currently was to the England team…

While the outside world was becoming a mess, the guy who made countless people worried, was lying in a hospital bed and sleeping in peace.

He had already made his own decision and there was nothing to worry about after that.