Football: The strongest post-2000s Chapter 054

Melwood Training Base is located between Liverpool and Derby. It was built in the 1950s and renovated six years ago. It is the training base for Liverpool’s first team, a Premier League giant. However, this training base is far from the center of Liverpool, which was depressing for Li Qing, who was visiting Melwood for the first time.

Compared to Kirkby Academy, Melwood is more remote, in the L 12 area on the outskirts of Liverpool. Li Qing used to be able to cycle to Kirkby Academy, but this time he had to choose a more advanced mode of transport.

Since he was not yet seventeen years old, Li Qing was not old enough to get a driver’s license, so driving a car or motorcycle was out of the question. Therefore, he could only take the bus.

Fortunately, there was a No. 12 bus near his home. It took twelve stops, about forty minutes, and then he got off at Melwood Avenue.

Although it was only 8:30 in the morning, Li Qing, who got off at the Melwood Avenue bus stop, could see a dozen fans walking around in front of the private houses opposite the training base.

Obviously, these fans were waiting for Liverpool players to drive to work, to see if they could get autographs or photos.

In addition, there were some fully equipped reporters holding professional DSLRs, ready to shoot footage of the stars arriving at Melwood.

Among the few people, Li Qing’s handsome face was slightly noticeable, but he had no appeal at all, because these people came to Melwood just for the stars.

Li Qing noticed that the reporters were not interested in him, rolled his eyes, and thought, “I’m the best player in the Youth FA Cup! Hmph! Blind, unscrupulous reporters!”

There was a special young man in the crowd. He was special because he was different. He had yellow skin, black eyes, and black hair, which was clearly different from the uniform European white people. He was about twenty-five years old, holding a professional Canon DSLR, and his lens kept switching, seemingly looking for a suitable shooting angle.

Until a young man appeared in the center of the lens. The young man was about 1.76 meters tall and looked quite strong. He was carrying a large Nike messenger bag, and what was most likely to attract others’ attention was his handsome face and confident smile.

What attracted the young man’s attention was that the young man had the same skin color and hair color. Perhaps it was because he had been staying abroad for a long time, and when he saw someone with the same yellow skin, black eyes, and black hair, he always thought they were compatriots, and he had an urge to speak.

Watching the young man walk towards Melwood, he thought the young man was visiting for the first time and didn’t know that fans were not allowed inside, so he quickly ran over and blurted out in his mother tongue: “Hey, wait a minute.”

Li Qing, who was walking towards the gate of the Melwood training base, heard familiar Chinese behind him. Out of reflex, he turned his head and saw a young man running towards him with a professional DSLR.

The young man became excited and said excitedly, “You… are you person?”

“Essentially yes, practically no.”

“???”

Three question marks instantly appeared above the young man’s head.

Li Qing didn’t like to talk to strange men, even compatriots, so his tone was very flat: “I am a British-Chinese.”

“Your Chinese is very good.”

The young man was like a chatterbox. He held his work badge, which was hanging on his chest, in his right hand and introduced himself: “I am Lu Lu, a reporter from the Premier League section of Dongqiudi. Nice to meet you.”

Out of politeness, Li Qing replied faintly: “My name is Li Qing.”

Without waiting for the other party to speak, he pointed to the gate of Melwood and said, “I’m going in now, goodbye.”

Lu Lu reminded him: “By the way, Melwood Training Base is not open to the public today. If you want autographs, you can only wait here.”

Saying that, he looked down at his wristwatch: “There’s about an hour until training. Players usually arrive here around 9:30.”

Li Qing originally didn’t want to bother with Lu Lu, the reporter from Dongqiudi, but he heard the kindness in the other party’s words, and they were also compatriots, so he shrugged his shoulders: “Don’t worry, I can go in.”

“Impossible, right?”

“Just wait and see.”

Li Qing took out a document from his messenger bag and showed it to the uncle at the door. The latter glanced at it and then directly opened the door, letting him in.

Lu Lu’s pupils constricted slightly, somewhat disbelieving. This… he just went straight in?

Could it be… he’s the child of an internal staff member?

However, this possibility was quickly ruled out, because any football club has clear regulations that non-staff are not allowed to enter, and even high-ranking officials do not have the power to allow family members into the training base.

Could it be the child of a shareholder?

It wasn’t until the wooden door was tightly closed that Lu Lu suddenly slapped his forehead and murmured, “I should have asked him for a number. Then… wouldn’t I have a chance to get firsthand material on the Liverpool first team training?”

Li Qing, who entered the Melwood training base, was quickly attracted by the buildings in front of him. In the center of a landmark wooden sign, seven letters were displayed—Melwood.

It tells the world where this is!

Melwood!

Below the large area of Melwood were two more words, “training” and “facility,” which combined can be translated as Melwood Training Base.

In the distance was a modern two-story building, with a Liverpool team logo on the red wall on the right side. Further to the right was the parking lot used by the first-team players, coaches, and staff.

According to his memory, he walked along the path to the left of the bungalow. If his ‘previous self’s’ memory was correct, that was the way to the first team’s training ground.

The players and coaches had not yet arrived at Melwood, but the staff were working diligently, providing logistical support for the upcoming first-team training.

Li Qing couldn’t help but clench his fists, cheering himself on: “I must stay here!”