Saint Petersburg Stadium. July 2018.
The World Cup semifinal was underway, with the VIP box filled with stars—predominantly retired English players.
In the 5th minute, England won a free kick at the edge of the penalty area.
Kieran Trippier stepped up and sent the ball curling over the wall directly into the net.
David Beckham smiled nostalgically from the stands, recalling how he had once used a brilliant free kick to wash away humiliation and achieve redemption.
"Scott, ever thought about how you could be playing in the World Cup if you'd joined the England national team?" Ling teased his teammate.
Scott McTominay shrugged indifferently. "Ling, like you, I could never stand hearing another country's national anthem playing behind me."
"But this England team is really strong—they have what it takes to win the World Cup," Ling said, before patting McTominay's shoulder meaningfully.
"However, never underestimate Croatia's resilience. Remember, they're essentially a team of 'Modrićs.'"
Moreover, England carried numerous curses that made their championship pursuit incredibly difficult and having the notoriously tenacious, yet often luckless, Harry Kane.
Sure enough, in the 68th minute, Šime Vrsaljko delivered a cross from the diagonal, and Ivan Perišić volleyed home the equalizer.
Then, the 32-year-old Mario Mandžukić, 33-year-old Luka Modrić, and 30-year-old Ivan Rakitić began composing Croatia's rhapsody.
Despite having played three consecutive extra-time matches, they continued running relentlessly, using their skills to decide the outcome and their actions to prove their worth.
In the 109th minute, Modrić's cross from the left was cleared by Kyle Walker, but Perišić headed it back to the left side of the penalty area where Mandžukić charged forward and smashed the ball into the net.
John Stones and Harry Maguire paid the price for their inexperience.
Ultimately, Croatia advanced to the World Cup final!
As the celebrations ensued, people noticed an interesting pattern: since the 1982 World Cup, every final had featured players from both Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
Watching Maguire standing dejectedly on the field, Ling thought his future teammate seemed quite resilient—surely they would have much to discuss in Manchester.
After the match, Ling went down to console his Manchester United teammates.
He incidentally encountered Trippier, but they passed without acknowledgment, treating each other as strangers after their past on-pitch clashes.
However, England captain Harry Kane proved quite enthusiastic, subtly inquiring whether Ling had considered changing clubs next season—suggesting Tottenham would be an excellent choice.
Ling decisively declined, believing his fate wasn't as resilient as Kane's—even with a system, winning championships at Spurs would be extremely difficult.
...
Three days before the World Cup final, explosive news broke across the globe.
Cristiano Ronaldo transferred from Real Madrid to Juventus for €105 million, causing Juventus' stock to surge by nearly 40%.
Ronaldo took more than just his football legacy; countless fans shifted their allegiance from Real Madrid to Juventus, making the upcoming Champions League season even more dazzling.
Soon, the World Cup final commenced, and the outcome held no surprises.
France defeated Croatia 4-2, with Mbappé, Pogba, and Griezmann each scoring.
Paul Pogba started as a central midfielder and performed beyond everyone's expectations, showcasing his true world-class ability.
Then there was that young "bald egg" Kylian Mbappé.
At just 20 years old, he became a World Cup champion and was officially bought out by PSG for €180 million at the season's end, instantly becoming the most talked-about figure in the sport.
This wasn't just the end of a World Cup—it felt like the curtain falling on an era.
People couldn't help but anticipate a direct clash between two prodigies: the 19-year-old Champions League winner (Ling) versus the 20-year-old World Cup champion (Mbappé).
What dazzling sparks would their encounter produce?
...
After the World Cup, Ling returned to Manchester, rigorously following his training regimen.
Two days later, Man United's official website announced the signings of Riyad Mahrez and Harry Maguire for a total of €130 million.
Ling met them at the training ground that same day.
"Jeremy, I'm thrilled to be your teammate!" Mahrez said earnestly.
Having joined Leicester City for a mere €500,000 at 23, Mahrez embodied the principle of "hard work pays off."
He had progressed steadily from the Championship to the Premier League, and now to the double-winning Man United.
He had actually hesitated between choosing Man United or Man City for a long time, but one statement from Man United's recruitment department had deeply moved him:
"Man City's left wingers are Sterling and Sané, but our left winger is Jeremy—last season's Premier League Best Player and Golden Boot winner. You'll make a fantastic partnership!"
No one dislikes honors, and Mahrez was no exception.
He wanted to play alongside stronger teammates to maximize his own abilities.
Thus, he agreed to join Man United.
As for Maguire? He grew up watching Man United matches—his heart had long been dyed Red Devils red.
Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had been reluctant to let him go, appealing emotionally and logically for Maguire to stay another season.
But after several lengthy negotiations, Vichai ultimately chose to respect Maguire's wishes.
After both transfers were finalized, Pep Guardiola grew extremely frustrated—not only had his recruitment failed, but his prime targets had been snatched away by his city rivals.
Top-tier right wingers were scarce in football at the time.
Man City couldn't immediately find a suitable replacement and had to boldly promote 18-year-old Phil Foden, relying on Leroy Sané as a temporary solution.
Man United then began their final clearance sale.
Juan Mata transferred to Barcelona for €38 million, while Marcos Rojo moved to Estudiantes for €6 million.
Yet Man United's crazy spending spree continued: they signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for €43 million and triggered a €39 million buyout clause to retain Mateo Kovacic permanently.
By this point, Man United's spending had already exceeded €200 million, ranking among the top three in the Top Five Leagues.
With half a month remaining in the transfer window, no one knew whether the free-spending Mourinho would make further purchases.
However, recent news had left Man United fans deeply concerned—the possibility of Marcus Rashford leaving the club.
Due to insufficient playing time and opportunities, many English football legends had advised Rashford to leave Man United, either on loan or through a permanent transfer, to ensure he could get regular game time.
Otherwise, he would waste the most crucial years of a professional footballer's career.
Rashford's once-firm conviction had begun to waver.
After Mata's departure, he had hoped to play as the right winger, but Mourinho had gone and signed Mahrez.
That left him only as Ling's backup on the left, but Ling had been performing like an absolute beast recently, with explosively good form and rarely suffering from injuries.
Sensing the tension, Mourinho approached Rashford one day.
"Ling won't always play as a left winger, as it's difficult to build tactics around him in that position. This season, I'll have him try playing as a number nine," Mourinho explained.
"Of course, if you decide to leave, I won't stop you. But I'd prefer you to stay at Man United, because it would be a shame to miss the chance to help shape the future."
After a thorough heart-to-heart, Rashford still hadn't made a decision, and Mourinho didn't press him.
...
Soon, it was July 20th, the day of Man United's first pre-season friendly.
Ajax vs. Man United at old Trafford.
With the World Cup just concluded, several Man United players were injured, including Lukaku, Romero, Matic, Herrera, and Valencia.
Well, it could hardly be described as just "several."
Perhaps Man United had an innate predisposition to injuries, as evidenced by last season's "Crutch United" nickname.
So Mourinho set up a 4-3-3 formation and boldly fielded newly arrived players, treating the match as a training exercise.
In the players' tunnel, Ling was still reflecting on his earlier conversation with Mourinho in the manager's office.
"With Valencia injured and unavailable, you've become the team's second captain. How does it feel to wear the armband?" Mourinho had asked.
"It's complicated. I never really thought about it."
"And what do you think a captain's responsibilities are?"
"To lead the team to victory and help teammates solve problems," Ling replied.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Then let me share a few words with you," Mourinho had said, his tone turning dead serious. "You can be the most formidable leader, a highly skilled player, the club's spiritual symbol. You must hold yourself to the highest standards, so your teammates see you as a role model, and solve their problems on the pitch."
"But does having a strong fist make you a captain? Clearly not. Being good at fighting might make your teammates fear you, but it won't earn their respect. The difference between the two is what makes a captain."
"But no matter what, remember two words—responsibility. Others can fall, but you cannot. Others can admit defeat, but you cannot. Others can give up, but you cannot."
"Before every match, look back at those behind you. You must shoulder the responsibility for them!"
Standing in the tunnel, Ling instinctively glanced back—De Gea, Luke Shaw, Maguire...
In each of their eyes, he saw varying degrees of trust.
Suddenly, he felt something settle on his shoulders, something heavy yet incredibly warm.
Perhaps he didn't fully understand the meaning of being a captain yet, but he had certainly taken his first step toward becoming one.
In this lengthy process, boys gradually transform into men.
...
Amid the cheers of Man United fans, players from both teams emerged from the tunnel as Erik ten Hag and Jose Mourinho shook hands.
The former gazed upon the magnificent Old Trafford, thinking to himself that if he could become Man United's head coach in the future, he would undoubtedly make the team even stronger.
Ajax, fielding their full starting lineup, launched a fierce offensive right from the opening whistle.
Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, and Hakim Ziyech shone brightly in the central axis, all aware that this was their chance to showcase themselves to the world.
(Unfortunately, the Brazilian GOAT Antony was still at São Paulo, otherwise his signature spins would have made an early appearance at Old Trafford).
Man United continued with last season's defensive counter-attacking strategy, compressing their entire formation into their own half.
In the 23rd minute of the match, Maguire and Lindelof seemed to misunderstand each other, letting Frenkie de Jong's through ball slip behind them.
With both players having turning speeds comparable to aircraft carriers, Ziyech forcefully broke through, entered the penalty area, and slotted the ball home with a poke shot.
0-1!
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