From Arsenal to the Ball God

The next day, Ma’el and Gilbert arrived at Sheffield United’s training base to test their top running speed.

Most of their familiar teammates and coaches had already left the club, but through contacts, they managed to find two overtime-working football data analysts.

”What’s there to test?”

Gilbert couldn’t understand Ma’el’s curiosity and complained all the way: ”Your speed is excellent, mine is above average, isn’t that enough to know?”

Ma’el looked at him and chuckled, ”I’ve been training for almost half a year, what if I’ve made progress?”

In fact, he mainly wanted to have a clear understanding of his current speed ability before returning to Arsenal.

To see where a Level 4 speed stands in the football world.

Unlike abilities like long shots that cannot be accurately measured, speed ability is definitely measurable.

Ma’el often saw media reports on data networks about which star player had reached a top running speed of such and such km/h.

If he remembered correctly, Saint Bell and French sprinter Mbappe, among the fastest in football, reached about 37.5 km/h.

This speed is infinitely close to Bolt’s average speed when he ran 9.58.

Of course, Bolt’s highest speed between 80-90 meters was around 44.5 km/h, so there is still a gap with football players.

Top speed isn’t average speed, it’s the fastest speed burst out at an instant, captured in short-distance sprints.

”What if again?”

Hearing Ma’el say this, Gilbert shut his mouth, knowing that whenever Ma’el spoke like that, he really had made progress... which was quite frustrating.

The two of them made their way to the club’s field, where they saw the two data analysts already waiting for them.

”Hello.”

One walked up to greet them, smiling: ”I heard from Mr. Jorson that you want to test your speed ability?”

”Yes.”

Ma’el wasn’t sure if the club had such equipment and asked, ”Do you have the kind of equipment that can capture a player’s top running speed?”

”It was just purchased before the end of the season.”

The analyst looked proud and seemed very fond of the equipment, ”We’ve equipped the most advanced Amisco football analysis system, which can calculate top speed through analysis.

”The Sun’s report on the fastest speed in the Premier League this season was also measured using this analysis system, it’s very accurate.”

”That’s good.” Ma’el internally marveled at the investment English teams made in hardware facilities, and took Gilbert to the sidelines to warm up.

After warming up, they came to the area near the center circle arc, waiting to start.

The two data analysts then walked to the side of the field, fiddling with the camera equipment mounted on the rails, and after setting up all 8 capture devices, signaled that the two could start.

”Just run randomly.”

One of them drew a circle in the air with his hand, shouting with a smile: ”Run around in circles, run as long as you want! Whatever happens, we can capture and calculate your peak speed.”

Ma’el nodded, lifted his legs a few more times, and headed off in one direction first.

”Thud thud thud...!”

He put on cleats, mimicking the feeling of running on the field, pushed off and burst into motion, kicking up grass and dirt.

His whole body erupted with a powerful force, supporting him as he continually sped up his arm movements, sped up his leg lifts and steps, his toes nimbly and forcefully tapped the ground only to spring up quickly again.

The breeze slapped his face, poured into his collar and ears, briefly dulling his hearing.

”Wow... what!”

Gilbert, behind him, half-opened his mouth, watching Ma’el rapidly approach the baseline position, and couldn’t help but exclaim, ”Are you kidding me?”

”*#%&....#~!” Ma’el could hear Gilbert saying something behind him, but it sounded like gibberish.

As he approached the baseline, he exerted all his strength to speed up again, gritting his teeth as he charged toward the finish line!

When he slowly decelerated and finally came to a stop, he turned his head to see Gilbert and the two data analysts dazed.

”No wonder you wanted to test it.”

Gilbert was numb, frequently being hit by Ma’el’s progresses, he had somewhat of a ’now accustomed’ feeling of slight despair.

Initially, he thought since Ma’el was faster, testing himself would only be a comparison, so he didn’t run.

But now he thought, given the gap, he might as well experience the new equipment and measure his own speed.

”Thud thud thud!”

He soon burst into a sprint, running one lap after another, hoping to achieve his best standard.

They performed more than a dozen anaerobic sprints in total, and feeling somewhat fatigued, went to the side of the field to check the data.

”Follow me.”

The two data analysts packed up their recording equipment and led them to a room, asking them to wait for a while, ”It’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

”It’s really advanced.”

Gilbert looked at their backs and smiled, ”It feels a bit like seeing a doctor in a hospital.”

”Haha....” Ma’el laughed out loud, he too had a similar feeling.

At present, the various devices aren’t exactly advanced; it’s only in the coming years that technology will truly develop rapidly.

Thinking of this, he realized that after the first season had passed, his acceptance of this body and this era had grown a lot, often approaching issues from the current viewpoint first.

If something triggered a memory, he would then think of previous incarnations.