Although Eindhoven is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, its reputation in Europe is quite significant due to being one of the high-tech hubs of the continent.
In the early morning, the tranquil city resembles a still lake, offering a peaceful spiritual refuge before the hustle and bustle of traffic stirs up restless ripples.
In an ordinary apartnt, several suitcases lie scattered across the living room floor. A 19-year-old blonde guy sits on the sofa, his expression blank as he occasionally glances at his feet, with eyes filled with confusion and panic.
He bends forward, cradling his head in his hands, his teeth clenched in frustration.
Three years ago, he arrived in the Netherlands to join the prestigious club Eindhoven.
Two years ago, at just 17, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Spain's top team, Barcelona, managed by Cruyff!
And here he is, two years later, abandoned by Eindhoven and released from his contract!
Everything stems from his injured ankle. The club's dical staff were at a loss, ultimately deciding to give up on this once-promising star.
Knock, knock, knock.
His father descends the stairs, carrying the last suitcase.
Still an active player himself, this father is well-known in their ho country, but unfortunately, it's a country that doesn't rank high in European football: Iceland.
A country with a re population of around 200,000.
Seeing his son in pain, cradling his head, he puts down the suitcase and approaches him, suddenly noticing tears dripping from his son's chin onto the floor.
"Edur, you need to be strong! You must be strong! When we go back to Iceland, you'll make those who abandoned you regret it! Don't be like this; you are a man..."
His father wraps his arms around his son's head to comfort him, his own eyes beginning to water.
The tornt of injury has taken a toll on this Icelandic young man. Being released by the club is an even heavier blow.
He ca to the Netherlands from Iceland, and now he's going back, which will undoubtedly have a huge impact on his career, especially as he's about to turn 19— a crucial stage for professional developnt.
Is his dream of playing football over?
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock interrupts the mont.
His father takes a deep breath to calm his emotions and walks to the door, while the young man hastily wipes away his tears.
When his father opens the door, he sees two handso, refined young n standing outside.
"Excuse , is this the ho of Gudjohnsen?"
Aldrich smiles politely upon seeing a middle-aged man at the door and asks.
"May I ask who you are?"
The father gazes thoughtfully at Aldrich's face. Before Aldrich could introduce himself, he exclaims, "If I'm not mistaken, you are Mr. Hall, the coach of Millwall, right?"
The UEFA Cup had just concluded in the Netherlands two weeks prior, and the championship excitent of Millwall was still fresh in everyone's minds.
Aldrich feels a sense of pride: Heh, this is the advantage of being a championship coach. While he might not be recognized by everyone on the street, at least in the football circles, he's not an unknown.
While feeling satisfied in his heart, he keeps a calm deanor and nods, saying, "That's right, I'm Aldrich Hall, and this is my brother, Andrew Hall. May I ask who you are?"
"I'm Noel Gudjohnsen. What can I do for you?"
Old Gudjohnsen initially believes they are here for him, but Aldrich's gaze shifts inside the room, where he sees young Edur Gudjohnsen looking back at him with curiosity.
Aldrich is certain he's found the right person.
The Gudjohnsen family traits are quite distinctive, especially with their light golden eyebrows.
Aldrich points to young Gudjohnsen and smiles, "I'm sorry, I'm actually here for him."
Old Gudjohnsen looks back with curiosity, asking, "You're here for my son? What's the matter?"
Andrew and Aldrich remain by the doorway, still holding onto their bags. Andrew chis in, "Sir, could we co in and sit down to discuss?"
Old Gudjohnsen imdiately realizes they're not just here for a casual visit and steps aside, opening the door wide to let them in.
Aldrich shakes hands with young Gudjohnsen, before sitting on the armchair, while the Gudjohnsen father and son sit side by side, and Andrew stands next to Aldrich.
"Let get straight to the point. I've heard Edur is a free agent now. As the coach of Millwall, I'd like to invite him to join my team. Edur, are you interested in playing in London?"
Aldrich is direct. As he finishes speaking, the expressions of the Gudjohnsens vary, with the father's brow furrowing in hesitation while the son's eyes light up before they dull again.
The room falls into silence.
Finally, young Gudjohnsen speaks with difficulty, "Mr. Hall, thank you for considering . I'm thrilled to receive an invitation from Millwall, but I must tell you the truth."
Aldrich raises his hands in a gesture of confusion, "What, have you already agreed with another team?"
Young Gudjohnsen shakes his head and replies, "I was released by Eindhoven due to an ankle injury. The recurring injuries have prevented from playing, and I can't even ensure my participation in training."
Aldrich responds lightly, "And what of it?"
He speaks with ease, but old Gudjohnsen becos furious, shouting, "Mr. Hall! You've never played football; you have no idea how tornting injuries can be for a player!"
Aldrich raises his hands to signal calm, saying, "I don't think this is a big deal. If you're injured, just get treated—it's the sa for everyone. If this hospital can't help, you just go to the next one.Whether it's the first clinic or the next, it doesn't matter. You might know Millwall just as an English club that won a treble last year, but you don't understand us fully. I can boldly claim that Millwall boasts one of the best dical facilities in the world. Our dical team is dedicated to ensuring player health and has partnerships with top clinics in Europe and Arica. We approach injuries with transparency and caution; we won't hide a player's condition, and we won't have unqualified personnel as team doctors. If our internal team can't diagnose an issue, we seek out specialists. I have confidence in Edur and even more confidence in my team's dical staff. If you doubt my words, we can sign a contract first. If I back out, I'll pay a penalty."
The Gudjohnsen family is rendered speechless, exchanging glances. Sohow, this young coach, brimming with confidence, speaks in a manner that carries a convincing charm.
Millwall hasn't just won five trophies in the last two years; it's also renowned across Europe for its youth developnt. Many clubs are known for their youth teams, but achieving success with these young talents is a different matter.
Aldrich has done this. Millwall has beco one of the best options for young players to showcase their talents.
Without much hesitation, young Gudjohnsen rises and tells Aldrich, "Mr. Hall, I accept your invitation."
Aldrich stands up and shakes his hand with a smile, "From now on, just call boss."
"Okay, okay, boss..."
Young Gudjohnsen seems a bit awkward, as Aldrich looks not much older than him, and his clean-cut, handso appearance makes Aldrich appear even younger.
Following this, the Hall brothers and the Gudjohnsen family enjoy a pleasant lunch in Eindhoven, and so of the clouds hanging over their heads begin to dissipate. At least they won't have to return to Iceland to start over.
Moreover, young Gudjohnsen's transition from Eindhoven to the new Premier League club Millwall marks a significant step forward in his career, though his future trajectory will depend on his own efforts.
Since Gudjohnsen had been sidelined by injuries during the latter half of last season, he has not played or trained systematically; he therefore doesn't need a vacation. That afternoon, he boards a flight to London. Aldrich has already inford the club to send soone to the airport to greet father and son. Once they arrive, Gudjohnsen will undergo dical evaluations. If his ankle injury can be treated shortly, he'll move on to light training with the team. Jens, who remained at the club this sumr, is waiting to welco the new players.
Aldrich's trip to the Netherlands cos to an end, and with the addition of Van der yde and Gudjohnsen, the forward positions will be reinforced. Combined with the earlier confirmations of Duff and Ronaldinho moving to the first team next season, Aldrich has compensated for the departure of two substitute forwards. As long as they avoid a large-scale injury crisis at the early stages of the new season, Millwall's attacking lineup should be largely intact.
However, Aldrich is still not satisfied. His next destination is Germany.
Millwall has two strikers, Trezeguet and Van Nistelrooy, but neither is the perfect striker for Aldrich's tactics, as both are not particularly strong playmakers.
In Aldrich's mind, the striker he seeks to perfect Millwall's tactical setup is the main objective of his trip to Germany!
**Germany, Kaiserslautern**
Two years ago, this city was engulfed in sadness as Kaiserslautern faced relegation. This year, hope has returned as the team successfully regained its position in the league.
Next season is poised to be Kaiserslautern's most montous period, as they strive to repeat their miracle of a promoted team clinching the title.
However, Aldrich is not interested in the most famous team in Kaiserslautern.
He and Andrew arrive at a nearby amateur football club, Diedelkopf, on June 1st.
With limited resources, the amateur club trains and plays in public sports facilities.
Their office is an unremarkable, neglected building.
Once Aldrich arrives, he's treated like a VIP since he's representing Millwall with a generous offer of ￡100,000 for one of their players.
For an amateur club, ￡100,000 is simply unimaginable. Their typical player transactions on the market might only reach a few thousand or twenty thousand pounds.
To them, ￡100,000 is astronomical!
The club manager ets Aldrich and imdiately agrees to the transfer offer, lacking any room for negotiation. If they tried to haggle, Aldrich would simply walk away, leaving them with no one.
Aldrich patiently waits in the small eting room, and soon the club manager returns with a player in tow.
Seeing the tall, handso young man, Aldrich stands up, extends his hand, and smiles, "Hello, Miroslav Klose."
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