The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 93 The contract is cancelled

"The unexpected serious injury prevented Su Maozhen from signing with the Red Devils. The contract that was originally set in stone just flew away. Chinese players were just one step away from becoming official players of Manchester United. This is one of the biggest regrets of Chinese football."

--Inscription

Su Maozhen and Wu Chongwen's trial training with the Red Devils was intense and difficult. There were many training items, each of which was of high intensity and high standards. They were also very hardworking, positive, brave, lively and cheerful, and completed every task seriously.

Wu Chongwen has always had deep memories. He remembers the strict requirements of the two coaches, Kidd and Harrison, on the training programs, especially Harrison's meticulous and precise teaching by example. He also remembers the main players of the Red Devils' first team playing against the young players, and the various advanced facilities and luxurious equipment in the Cliff training base at that time.

Wu Chongwen later recalled, "Lao Mao (Su Maozhen) and I trained with the Red Devils youth team. Their requirements for us were exactly the same as those for the youth team. After a training session, we were very tired but excited, and we always had endless energy. I like it here very much. As long as you kick a good ball, others will congratulate you. Any shining point of yours will also be applauded. You can be with those world-class stars and get their guidance. This kind of treatment is really not available in China, you can't even imagine it."

Wu Chongwen was also pleasantly surprised to find that he could get paid, and it was in the form of weekly wages. Wu Chongwen said: "The most surprising and exciting thing for Lao Mao and me was not the training, but the fact that we got paid. This was specially arranged by Mr. Charlton, and it was paid directly to us instead of to the staff who came with the team. After every week of training, the club would give us two pounds each. That was a huge sum of money - this was the first time we got paid in a foreign country."

Wu Chongwen still remembers the players who trained with him back then. "Giggs and Lee Sharpe were about the same age as us, but Giggs had been promoted to the first team with a weekly salary of 1700 pounds. Sharp's weekly salary didn't seem to be as much as Giggs', but it was much more than the two of us. Beckham was also in the Red Devils training camp at the time, and they hadn't signed a formal contract yet."

The obstacles that limited Wu Chongwen's development were his physical condition and strength. At that time, Wu Chongwen's body had not grown up and his strength could not keep up. Although he had excellent awareness and a sense of the overall situation, his physical condition could not gain a foothold in England. Su Maozhen adapted well, and his physical condition was much better than most British teenagers of the same age. By November, Su Maozhen had become a potential star of the U11 team. He performed very well in training and competitions, and often scored difficult goals.

On November 11, Su Maozhen got the chance to start for the Red Devils Youth Team against the Yorkshire Penniless Youth Team. The Red Devils took the advantage from the start, firmly suppressing the opponent and constantly launching fierce attacks. Su Maozhen was a little nervous in the first half of the game and did not play very well. But Su Maozhen completely adapted to the rhythm of the game in the second half and started his own performance. He actively interspersed, actively confronted the opponent, and bravely rushed to the front of the goal to shoot. Throughout the game, Su Maozhen also easily scored 4 headers, helping the team to win 2-7.

After this game, Su Maozhen got the chance to play in the second game wearing the No. 10 jersey. He was more active and confident, and he was unstoppable on the forward line. He scored a hat trick with his head and feet, becoming the best player in the team. In the third game, Su Maozhen showed his bravery again. He not only scored the first goal for the team, but also created a penalty kick, which eventually helped the team win.

Su Maozhen scored 6 goals in three games, helping the team win three consecutive games. Su Maozhen surprised the Red Devils' coach and fans.

Wu Chongwen did not get many opportunities to play, but he also benefited a lot from the training. Although he was thin and weak and could not resist the crowding of those tall players, his defensive skills and awareness improved rapidly, his passing and positioning became better and better, and his reading of the game became more and more accurate.

Many years later, Wu Chongwen still remembers the Red Devils' first-line players he met at that time. The one who impressed Wu Chongwen the most was Bruce, a central defender who was born with a coaching fanaticism. He would guide Wu Chongwen in training all day long, personally demonstrating how to run, how to use physical confrontation, how to judge the opponent's intentions and respond in time.

Wu Chongwen said, "'Fat Bruce' kept talking all day long, which annoyed me at the time, but later I regretted not remembering his words, which were valuable experiences of the best defender in England and the top competition."

Another person who left a deep impression on Wu Chongwen was the "Governor" Ince. This all-around midfielder always liked to roar, just like a lion roaring. Ince was fierce on the field, but he was a big brother off the field. He always liked to give orders to Giggs, Gary and Scholes, and he kept shouting, "I'm in charge in Manchester. If you have any problems, just mention my name. Who doesn't understand the 'Governor'? Who dares to be blind?"

Ings liked to train with the youth teams and would appear both pleased and angry if Wu Chongwen did not use all his strength in a tackle, or did not get to the position at the designated time, or was fooled by his feints due to his lack of experience.

The Governor's curse was terrifying, "You little bastard, you're dead. I'll explode your sac!"

Wu Chongwen only feels relaxed when he sees Robson and Strachan. The two elder brothers take good care of the child and always encourage him to improve his level actively, hoping that he can join the Red Devils to play.

In addition to these predecessors, Wu Chongwen also has a deep memory of Lee Sharp. This was a fun guy who was full of kindness to the two Chinese teenagers. He treated Wu Chongwen as a brother and was willing to share happiness and secrets with him. At that time, Sharp was a playboy and kept inviting Wu Chongwen and Su Maozhen to hang out. He didn't mind even if the two Chinese teenagers refused many times. Before Wu Chongwen returned to China, Lee Sharp gave him a painting he painted himself and a lot of daily necessities, expressing his sincere brotherly feelings.

It may be because of the long time, and the memory may be confused and wrong. Wu Chongwen may have misremembered the wages of Sharp and Giggs, or he may have confused the two funny guys. Lee Sharp debuted much earlier than Giggs. When Giggs was still in the youth team, Lee Sharp was already a rotation starter. Lee Sharp was the first rising star in the Ferguson era, and his income was much higher than Giggs at the time.

Wu Chongwen was happy in the Red Devils, and he received help from the club. Ferguson was very concerned about the two Chinese teenagers during their trial training, and also gave them careful guidance in training. He also had a heart-to-heart talk with Wu Chongwen to resolve his concerns about the future.

Wu Chongwen later said, "My experience at the Red Devils was precious to me. I met many world-class superstars and received coach Ferguson's heart-to-heart talks and guidance. In just these few months, I have learned enough to benefit from for the rest of my life. It's not just about football and games, I have learned much more."

Wu Chongwen knew that he could not meet the standards of the Red Devils, so he did not feel too sorry for not being able to stay and play football.

Su Maozhen's situation was different. He was much luckier than Wu Chongwen - after all, England still favored tall players. Su Maozhen was already tall and strong, strong and fast, and was a good material for a striker. He actively charged forward, was also good at heading, and had very skilled forward techniques and performed very well.

Harrison said, "Su Maozhen is already very good at this age. It is difficult for us to find a better striker than him in our team. He has a good body, good jumping ability, dares to fight, and is very strong. He has excellent shooting skills and no problem with headers. He has a sharp sense in front of the goal and reasonable positioning. He can turn opportunities into scores at any time."

Ferguson has also watched Su Maozhen's training and games. He said: "Su Maozhen is very talented and he is very good in the Red Devils youth team. I admire him very much. He has good conditions in all aspects and is a very suitable striker seedling. I think he is like another Whiteside. I am very much looking forward to his growth."

The most satisfied person is Charlton. In his eyes, Su Maozhen is calm and steady, brave and resolute, and a rare good kid. Charlton said: "I have seen many young people who are not used to training and living alone, but Su Maozhen has no problem at all. He does not look like a child who is thousands of miles away from home, but like a white-collar worker who is calm and often travels. He manages his life in an orderly manner, and his excellent performance has won unanimous praise. I have hardly seen such a child, and I will have a bright future."

Su Maozhen later recalled, "I have been training hard in the Red Devils, and with the careful guidance of Harrison and Charlton, my ability has improved rapidly, and I have performed very well in the team, often scoring goals in training and games. I can almost always grab the ball when Beckham passes it, and I have a strong understanding with Giggs. I feel that I am improving every day and getting closer to success every day."

In 1989, Su Maozhen was 17 years old, which met the Red Devils' signing criteria. The Red Devils were also ready to sign him, and they had coordinated with the relevant departments of the Chinese Football Association beforehand. It can be said that everything was ready except for the east wind.

Su Maozhen remembers the situation back then. He said, "On November 11, Sir Charlton waited until the training was over, came over and patted me on the head and said, 'Big boy, you succeeded! Because of your outstanding performance, the club is ready to sign you.' I was very excited when I heard the news and was so happy that I couldn't sleep."

Ferguson instructed the club staff to prepare the relevant contract documents and suggested that Su Maozhen find a professional to explain the contents of the contract to him.

No one expected that fate would suddenly reverse in the next moment.

It was December 12, and the Red Devils were playing a youth team match as planned. Su Maozhen was also in the starting lineup, but in the 2th minute of the game, an accident suddenly occurred, and the opponent's defender made a fierce flying tackle and knocked Su Maozhen to the grass.

Su Maozhen said: "I was in so much pain that I almost fainted. I knew my leg must be broken. When I left the court, everyone was still encouraging me, but the diagnosis was despairing: a comminuted fracture of the right ankle bone! After the doctor examined me, he said I had to have surgery immediately. Recovery would be difficult and I might only have 50% of my athletic ability."

Su Maozhen was quickly sent to the hospital for treatment. British doctors used a steel plate and six steel nails to save his foot, but the serious injury forced him to stay away from the court temporarily.

The unexpected injury also put a halt to the Red Devils' signing plans. Ferguson said, "We did want to sign Su Maozhen at the time, but unfortunately he was seriously injured and we had to urgently stop the signing plan. We are very sad and worried about his treatment and recovery."

Ferguson said with regret: "It is a pity that we were not able to sign Su Maozhen. Su is a young man with great potential, but the injury is really regrettable."

Charlton said: "I know the ins and outs of everything. I can only say it's a pity. We should have had a magical signing, and the Red Devils should have expected a better Su Maozhen. But everything is over after that. I have never been able to let it go. It is a great pity."

Charlton always thought that Su Maozhen could play for the Red Devils, but he did not expect that his chance would be ruined by this serious injury.