Super Wingstorm

Yang Yang’s return to the team was undoubtedly a joyous occasion for the National Youth Team.

The squad for the AFC U-19 Championship was still largely based on the team that had won the Toulon Cup, with only a few minor adjustments. For example, Zhou Haibin and Zhao Xuri, who had missed the Toulon Cup due to training with the senior National Team, had also returned.

Dong Fangzhuo, currently on loan from Manchester United to Antwerp in the Belgian second division, had also rejoined the squad.

It could be said that the current National Youth Team was finally a truly complete squad.

Having spent a long time together during the Toulon Cup, where they fought side by side, Yang Yang had earned his teammates’ respect for both his skills and his character. So, as soon as they heard the news of his arrival, many of them rushed over to see him.

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”Yang Yang, I saw your performance at the Asian Cup! It was amazing.”

”Seriously! I was so jealous.”

”Your form this season has been incredible. Your performances for Ajax and in the European Super Cup were just outstanding.”

”I heard you signed a massive contract with Nike for 30 million RMB a year?”

”You’ve got it made. You already bought a house in Beijing, and here we are making a pathetic three or four thousand a month.”

”You’re such a hot property now. The senior National Team is basically trying to steal you from us.”

”With you back on the team, our chances in Malaysia are much better.”

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When his teammates saw Yang Yang, they all chimed in at once, talking about everything and anything.

Yang Yang could clearly see the welcome and joy on their faces.

As the saying goes, fame brings trouble. Although the domestic media was far less developed than in Europe, they were old hands when it came to digging up information. Yang Yang had just bought a house in Beijing, and the news was immediately leaked by the press.

And so, the entire country knew that Yang Yang had bought a house in Beijing, paying in full.

Not to mention his sponsorship deal with Nike, which sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Before the Asian Cup, the fact that Adidas had specifically sponsored Yang Yang’s cleats had already drawn considerable attention domestically. Everyone had assumed he would sign with Adidas, but unexpectedly, he turned around and signed with Nike instead.

At a sky-high price of 3 million euros a year, you couldn’t find another player at that level, not just on the National Youth Team, but even on the senior National Team.

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As for all this, Yang Yang himself was quite nonchalant.

”Trust me, if you work hard and perform well on the pitch, you guys can do it too.”

His teammates could only offer wry smiles. The gap between them and Yang Yang was growing wider and wider.

If, during the Toulon Cup, they had merely felt that Yang Yang was a bit more outstanding than his peers, then after the Asian Cup, they truly felt that they and Yang Yang were no longer on the same level.

Even Zhou Haibin, who had also been selected for the senior National Team, was substituted out after playing only the first match of the Asian Cup.

”Do you think playing abroad is a big risk?” Zhou Haibin asked with concern.

The others around them also showed looks of interest. It was clear that many of them had also considered the idea of playing abroad.

With Yang Yang and Shao Jiayi performing brilliantly, and national players like Zheng Zhi and Zhao Junzhe scrambling to play abroad, going overseas was becoming a major option.

”The risk is definitely high. After all, you’re in a foreign country where you don’t know anyone or the place. Differences in language, lifestyle, and other aspects can all lead to failure. The most important thing is the club’s sincerity—whether or not you’ll actually get playing time, and so on.”

Yang Yang spoke earnestly at this point. ”Putting other things aside, everyone here is among the best of our age group in the country. With your current momentum, if you stay in China, you’ll definitely become starters for your respective teams, earn a high salary, support yourselves and your families, and even make it to the National Team and achieve success. That won’t be a problem.”

Many of those present nodded in agreement after hearing this.

There were quite a few players on the National Youth Team who came from poor families. For them, starting to play in the professional leagues quickly, earning money, and improving their and their families’ living conditions was what mattered most.

Playing abroad meant giving up everything they had right now. Although they could return to China if they failed, who knew what the situation would be like then? What if they ran into other problems overseas?

Therefore, they had to consider it very carefully.

To put it bluntly, they couldn’t afford to lose.

”I can’t really give you any advice. I can only say that, in my opinion, the earlier you go abroad, the more you’ll get out of it. The matches in the European leagues really forge a player, and the improvement is very fast.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

”Yang Yang, in your opinion, what level are domestic players at in the European leagues?” Chen Tao asked.

”Top domestic players like Zheng Zhi, Zhao Junzhe, Sun Jihai, Li Tie, and Shao Jiayi could definitely establish themselves in lower-to-mid-table teams in the Four Major European Leagues, or in top-tier teams in secondary leagues like Ligue 1, the Portuguese Super League, the Eredivisie, and the Belgian First Division A.”

”What about us?” Chen Tao pressed.

This was something everyone present was very concerned about.

”To be honest, I think many players on our team aren’t lacking in physique or technique compared to our peers from Europe’s top football nations. But what we’re missing is tactical understanding and mental fortitude. This is related to the football training we’ve received since we were young.”

As Yang Yang said this, he noticed many of his teammates sinking into thought, so he continued.

”At our age, we can still catch up, but only if we have the right soil and environment. That’s why I just said it’s best to go abroad early. The sooner you go and get playing time in a European league, the better.”

”Do you think we could get a chance at a lower-to-mid-table team in Ligue 1 or the Eredivisie?” Feng Xiaoting asked with concern.

”Absolutely. Of course, European clubs aren’t saints. Some of them are full of empty promises. So, you have to be careful with everything and let the contract do the talking. The key is to get playing time. Given the size of the Chinese market, as long as you have the skill and can get on the field, European clubs are quite willing to use Chinese players.”

Although Yang Yang had only been with Ajax for a year, he had befriended top local Dutch players like Van der Vaart, Sneijder, De Jong, and Heitinga. Plus, since Ajax itself was a powerhouse in the Eredivisie, Yang Yang also knew many agents and football professionals with deep connections in Dutch football.

After seeing several teammates express interest in playing abroad, Yang Yang said that he would definitely help in any way he could.

”For now, it’s best not to think about this too much. First, sort things out with your domestic clubs and try to participate in next year’s Netherlands World Youth Championship. Scouts from all over the world will gather there. As long as we perform well, we won’t have to worry about teams not coming to us.”

Everyone nodded after hearing this, thinking it was a solid idea.

Instead of blindly going abroad now, it was better to use the FIFA U-20 World Cup as a platform to showcase their skills and have teams approach them.

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During the next day’s training session, Coach Tie Sheng was surprised to find that many players on the team were training with exceptional effort and enthusiasm.

’What’s going on?’

’Could it be that Yang Yang’s return has boosted the players’ morale and fighting spirit?’

That seemed to be the most logical reason he could think of.

Since Yang Yang had continued to train diligently throughout his vacation without a moment’s rest, he had no trouble adapting to the National Youth Team’s training. The only thing he found hard to get used to was the excessive amount of off-the-ball training.

But every head coach has their own style of training and managing, so Yang Yang could only adapt; it was difficult for him to offer suggestions.

In the latter half of the training session, the team began practicing tactics and techniques.

After gelling during the Toulon Cup and gaining more familiarity during the Asian Cup, the National Youth Team’s coaching staff had clearly found the right position for Yang Yang. They began practicing a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Zhu Ting as the lone striker and Yang Yang lurking behind him, acting as a free-roaming player in the attack.

This style of play suited Yang Yang well. They called it a free role, but it basically just meant letting Yang Yang play freely.

With Hao Junmin on the left, Chen Tao on the right, and Zhou Haibin in the center, the teammates surrounding Yang Yang were all quite strong.

Yang Yang was quite familiar with Hao Junmin and Chen Tao, having fought alongside them at the Toulon Cup. Zhou Haibin, on the other hand, he hadn’t played with before. Although they had some contact during National Team training, it wasn’t much.

Now, getting up close with him on the National Youth Team, Yang Yang discovered his teammate’s strengths and characteristics.

He had great passing vision, excellent technique and awareness, and strong organizational skills. He also had a knack for making late runs and taking long shots. His fundamentals were also very solid, but more importantly, he played with a lot of creativity and intelligence.

Yang Yang couldn’t say if the other teammates had noticed, but through his own feeling for the game and his God’s Vision, he could clearly perceive this strength of Zhou Haibin’s. It was only then that he understood why Arie Haan had started him in the first game of the Asian Cup.

This was a truly rare quality among domestic players.

Outside of training sessions, Zhou Haibin took the initiative to seek Yang Yang’s guidance.

”Zheng Zhi told me you have a treasure trove on your computer. He said the reason he could play so well as a ball-playing center-back was because he learned from you. So, I’ve come to seek the true scriptures myself.”

Yang Yang was very forthcoming. He immediately sat down with Zhou Haibin in front of his laptop, going over the information he had collected, and discussed his position and duties on the field. He thought Zhou Haibin could learn from the playing style of Ajax midfielder Sneijder.

”Your characteristics are very similar. You can watch the videos of Sneijder on my computer and see how the team defines his role.”

Zhou Haibin was an intelligent player. As soon as he saw the materials on Yang Yang’s computer and combined them with their discussion, many of the questions and problems that had puzzled him for years were quickly resolved, and some of his thoughts became clearer.

But whether it would actually work or not would have to be tested in a real match.

As Zhou Haibin started visiting Yang Yang’s room every morning and evening, his roommates Feng Xiaoting, Hao Junmin, Chen Tao, and the others also became interested and joined in. After all, they were all eager to understand how the entire tactical system of Ajax and Dutch football worked, and how player roles were assigned on the field.

Even if it wasn’t for the sake of playing abroad in the future, it would at least help them adapt to the style of the National Team’s head coach, Arie Haan.