Godfather Of Champions

Stuart Pearce was on holiday at home when he received the call from Tony Twain.

He knew why Twain was looking for him and even though he already had an answer, he still listened to what Twain had to say politely.

“I’m very happy that you called me, Tony, but I think the youth team needs me more.”

Twain felt very depressed. Everyone that he approached rejected him, was it such a horrifying thing to be his assistant manager?

“But I need you too, Stuart.”

Stuart Pearce’s concern was that if he joined the England team, he would have to give up his job in the youth team. He had been working in the youth team for almost 10 years and he knew everything about it and everything had to go through him. If Twain’s contract was up, what would happen to him then? Manage the England national team? He was not very interested in that. The media pressure for that kind of job was too heavy. The youth team suits him best.

“If you can convince the Football Association to agree for me to still be the manager of the England youth team, I’ll agree to be your assistant manager.”

Pearce listed his condition.

Twain considered for a while and nodded, “Okay, I’ll try.”

He really talked to Harvey about it, but no matter what he said, Harvey would not agree to allow Pearce to take on two roles at the same time. He could be either Twain’s assistant manager or stay as the youth team’s manager. This was a single-choice question, not a multiple-choice.

“Tony, we’ve recommended so many coaches for you, are there none that can be your assistant manager? There are lots of talented coaches within the choices and they’re all the cream of the crop for their age…”

Twain was furious and he did not give Harvey any leeway and he said very firmly, “They are all not good enough to me!”

Harvey was more cultured than Twain and he merely shrugged, meaning Twain could go look for his own assistant manager if he did not like them.

Twain left the English Football Association’s office with a long face. It looked like he had to do it himself after all.

※※※

Des Walker was demonstrating how to defend in an one-on-one situation for his players on the training ground. All of a sudden, his phone vibrated in his pocket, causing him to lose his footing when dribbling. If not for the quick reflex from the player defending him, he would have made a fool of himself publicly.

Walker patted the player who held him on the shoulders, “You should intercept the ball and not think about giving me a hand.”

Next, he gave a look to his assistant manager. His assistant manager walked up and shouted, “Shuttle run 20 times, everyone!”

There was a commotion within the team, but it was silenced by the coaches very quickly. One for all, all for one. This was Walker’s training requirement. Even though that player attempted to help his manager out of goodwill, his action did not put him in the boss’ good books.

Only after every player accepted his punishment did Walker walk to the shelter next to the training ground and fished out the vibrating phone.

It was from Tony Twain.

“You don’t call me often, Tony.”

“Ha, we’re both busy most of the time, plus we’re not in the same city anymore…” Twain laughed awkwardly.

But Walker was not trying to be critical over this issue, in fact, he did not care about the reason at all, “But if you call me, there must be something. Do you need something from me? No!” Just when Twain was still figuring how to tell him, he broke the suspense himself, “Let me guess… You’re looking for an assistant manager, right?”

“You know me so well, Des,” Twain laughed from the heart this time.

“But what’s the use of you looking for me? I’m just the manager of a League Two team,” Walker said while looking at the team in training. He had parted ways with Ian Bowyer long ago. After Bowyer was fired by Hereford, he lazed at home for a period of time while Des Walker continued to actively look for a job. He had three different teams, from the manager of the youth team to the assistant manager to manager now. He went up the ranks step by step very practically.

However, the Oxford United that he was managing then was in the fourth tier of the English leagues. They were not very famous, was only a mid-table team in the league and their top target every year was to avoid relegation. That was why he thought it was weird that Twain called him.

“I don’t pick people based on their fame. You know that, Des.”

“Are you really asking me to be England’s assistant manager? Tony, are you mad?” What Twain said basically confirmed the reason for his call and Walker was shocked, “There are tens of thousand better coaches than me in England, why don’t you look for them?”

“For me, the best coach would not compare to a coach that suits me. Des, you were the first assistant manager I had after I became Forest’s manager. We work well together, you’re the one who’s most suitable for me, you’re the one I need,” Twain made it sound very passionate. If someone who did not know what they meant heard about it, they would have mistaken them to be a weird couple.

“Those coaches might be impressive, but they don’t know what I want, they don’t understand my thinking. Before I make the players understand my thinking, I have to make the whole coaching team understand me, that’s too difficult and inefficient. That’s why I need someone who knows what I want to do even before I say much as my assistant. Des, I can’t think of anyone more suitable than you.”

Walker was moved by Twain’s “passionate confession”, he did not reject Twain straight like the others, but he was stunned for awhile before stammering, “We, we’ve not worked together for, for 10 years, do…do we still work well together?”

“But we still keep in contact, right? You pay attention to what’s happening to me, don’t you, Des?

Even though this question made Twain sound like a narcissist, Walker still grunted a reply.

“We just need a little bit of grinding and lubrication and we’ll be able to work well together naturally. You know what kind of person I’m and I know what kind of person you are. You know what I need and I know what you can do. And in the past 10 years, you must have become better than before. Look at yourself, you’re already a manager… There’s nothing to worry about, it’ll be easier for you to be my assistant manager than to be an assistant to anyone else. And for me, with you as my assistant, things will be much easier. It’s a win-win situation. Besides, if we think of your future, it’ll be much easier for you to do anything next time if there’s this experience of “previous assistant manager of the England national team”, don’t you think so?

Twain was trying to make Des understand with reasoning while moving him with emotions. If he could not get Walker to agree, then he would be forced to accept one of the candidates that the Football Association recommended. Amongst them, there were even people who did not have a good impression of him… What kind of results would a combination like that bring the England team? Only God knows.

Walker went silent for a while, then asked hesitantly, “But I’m not very famous…” He was expressing his concern in a roundabout way that he might not be famous enough to influence those star players in the national team.

“You’re the assistant manager, Des. As an assistant manager, what’s important is your abilities, not your fame. When Venables was assistant to McClaren, the England team still listened to McClaren, at least on the surface.” Twain used the same roundabout way to express his opinion: The one managing the changing room is me, you don’t have to worry about it.

Walker looked up at the training ground, the team had already completed the 20 rounds of shuttle run and were resting at the side, waiting for the next training.

He knew that he did not have much time on that day, and he would not be able to be clear about everything. Furthermore, this was after all, a once-in-a-lifetime decision and he did not want to make a rash decision.

“My players are waiting for me, Tony. Let me consider it and give you an answer.”

Twain agreed very quickly, “Okay, no problem. For you, Des, I’ll keep my phone on all day, you can call me anytime you want.”

At the same time, Tony was screaming inside, “What are you waiting for, Des? Isn’t this much better than you being the manager of the League two team? You’ve already maximized their full potential by bringing Oxford United to the League two. They have no more potential to grow, you’re wasting your time by staying there!”

Even though this was the truth, if Twain had said that out loud, Des Walker probably would reject him directly without even taking a few days to consider. After all, nobody would allow anyone to criticize their own career.

When Walker place the phone back into the big and loose pocket of his sweatpants and return to the training ground. His assistant manager started to hurry those players that were still resting to continue to focus on training.

He was able to work very well together with his own assistant manager.

Was he going to give up his work here now for a work relation 10 years ago?

Which work was more important?

Des Walker could not make up his mind.

※※※

Twain called Walker, but he was not sure. Because Walker was spot on with what he said——”We’ve not worked together for 10 years, do we still work well together?”

What was the concept of 10 years?

For people who have never experienced it, they would probably find it hard to imagine the passing of time.

The youngsters who just entered high school 10 years ago, youthful and vibrant, full of hopes for the future yet being unwilling to grow up would step into the sanctuary of a marriage, and some might even become parents.

The young man who just stepped into society 10 years ago full of ambitions and determinations in pursuit of his dreams would become a middle-aged uncle who was waiting for death by bumming around in the blink of an eye, all his edges were smoothed by the flow of the society.

Not even the strongest man can defeat time. Even an arrogant man like Twain could not help but to surrender in front of time.

He was no longer that rookie whom did not know anything and required Walker to take care of everything 10 years ago. And Walker was no longer the inexperienced ex-player turned assistant manager 10 years ago who did everything using passion as motivation.

Both had experienced a 10 years period where they experienced the greatest change in their lives, would they still work well together?

Would they still know what each other meant without much words, using just an action or a gaze?

There is a saying in China, “the things are still there, but the people are different”, would this be applicable to them?

※※※

Des Walker was in a daze on the sofa. His wife called him three times from the dining room, but he did not respond. In the end, she walked out and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, staring at him.

“Ah? What’s wrong?” Walker finally realized there was someone in front of him after a while.

His wife ignored the reason why she was there staring at him and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s nothing…” Walker tried to dodge the question.

“Trouble at work?” His wife decided to sit down next to him and held his hand.

Walker felt the warmth coming from his wife and he gently stroked his wife’s small hands which was no longer smooth, “Tony gave me a call today.”

“Tony? Tony Twain?” As Walker’s wife, it was not easy for her to actually remember that man.

“Other than that Tony, which other Tony could it be?” Walker laughed.

“He was definitely not calling you to catch up, right?”

“He wants to introduce a new job to me, I’m hesitating about it,” Walker looked at the ceiling, unable to focus his eyes, “I don’t know if I should agree. I feel that this is a gamble, and a big gamble at that…”

“England’s manager?” As the wife of an ex-player and current manager, a woman still knew something about football.

“It’s an assistant manager, dear,” Walker smiled at his wife.

His wife looked at him unbelievingly. As his wife, she knew her husband’s capabilities very well.

“I told him that I don’t think I’m good enough to be England’s assistant manager, but he said it was okay, I can do it,” he knew what his wife was thinking about.

“You’re tempted?”

Walker stayed silent, then nodded and said, “To be honest…a little bit.”

“If you go to England, you’ll have to give up your job here in Oxford.”

Walker continued to nodding.

“Des, I don’t have any opinions about this. Go if you want, if not, reject him,” His wife did not care much about her husband’s work matters. Over the years, her husband had changed a few jobs and they had moved from one place to another, she just followed him everywhere. As long as there were teams which wanted her husband to be their manager, there was nothing for her to worry about. As a husband, he just needed to inform his wife about it and he did not expect his wife to give him any ideas. Especially now that their child was all grown up, there was even less need to ask his wife for her opinions.

“Let’s go for dinner, I was here to ask you to come over for dinner, Des.”

His wife stood up and pulled Walker up.

Walker stood up too. After telling his wife what he thought, he had already made his decision.

It would just be another adventure, just like when he decided to leave Nottingham Forest for Hereford. He was used to a life like this, moving from one place to another, changing jobs again and again. Maybe when he is fifty, he’d have accumulated enough experience and settle down in a Championship team, or even an English Premier League club, and he started to draw a blueprint for himself.

Before that, he would have to follow different people to learn and accumulate the experience.

Tony was not a bad target to learn from… How to manage the players.

He was really looking forward to see how Twain manages the star players of England whom had been spoilt by the media.