The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 155: The Prodigy Who Put Owen on the Bench

Millwall had an impressive record over the past two years, and this season they were truly taking off, which kept the fans' enthusiasm high. Even during the FA Youth Cup matches, the cramped Den stadium saw more than 70% occupancy, with tickets not being too expensive, just ￡5.

Melanie had dressed up thoughtfully today, her deep brown hair elegantly styled, and she wore a fitted red dress that clearly showed her allegiance to the team.

Sitting beside Aldrich, holding his hand and beaming with joy, she tilted her head and whispered in his ear, "How about a bet?"

Dressed sharply in a suit, Aldrich raised an eyebrow and smirked, "If Millwall wins the championship, I win; if Liverpool wins, you win. What's the stake?"

"Same as before, but with the condition that you have to cook for me."

"Can you actually cook?"

"I'm learning."

"Well, then, I guess that means I'm the one who will end up suffering."

"Chivalry!"

"Deal."

Just as Aldrich finished speaking, Andrew, sitting in the row below, turned around and chuckled, "Can I mooch a meal?"

He had brought along his new model girlfriend to watch the game. The slender beauty, rumored to be a French supermodel, seemed a bit lost, clearly uninterested in watching the kids play football.

Aldrich smiled and replied, "Chivalry."

Andrew grinned playfully and nodded, "Sure, I won't intrude on your little world."

As an agent, Andrew certainly needed to keep an eye on the players' performances.

In Millwall's starting lineup for today's FA Youth Cup, there were Gronkjaer, Lampard, Ferdinand, Capdevila, Pirlo, and Richard Wright, all of whom were under eighteen before last season began.

From goalkeeper through to midfield, there were hopeful stars on every front, though they seemed a bit thin in attack, with Gronkjaer playing as a winger.

As the players took to the field, the head coaches were Naji and McAuley.

Liverpool's legendary coach, Shankly, once said: "There are two of the best teams in Merseyside: the first is Liverpool, the second is Liverpool's reserve team."

At first glance, it might sound boastful, and most likely, 99% of people would think he was just bragging.

However, this wasn't the case; the current Liverpool manager, Roy Evans, was once the head coach of the Liverpool reserves. In those days, the reserves were essentially the same as the youth team, primarily tasked with player development. During Evans's tenure with the Liverpool reserves, they set numerous records that others could hardly hope to surpass. Even if these were reserve match records, they still held significant value. Moreover, many of the players from that reserve team later made a name for themselves in the first team, forming part of the squad that saw Shankly's successor, Paisley, win the European Cup three times. Viewed from this angle, Shankly's brash words weren't entirely unfounded.

Now, Liverpool's youth coach, McAuley, also had a notable background; he was a player brought in under Shankly but didn't have much success on the pitch. So, he devoted himself to studying coaching techniques and tactics. After a few years of dedicated study, he returned to Liverpool and was appointed by Dalglish to continue nurturing young talent.

The Liverpool team from the 1996 generation that took the field today was precisely the group that McAuley had carefully molded.

Aldrich had once extended an invitation to McAuley when he was trying to recruit three stars from Liverpool last year, but was turned down flatly.

Aldrich appreciated McAuley's perspective on player development, which contrasted starkly with the mainstream English approach; McAuley didn't overly emphasize physical confrontations. Instead, he focused on honing players' technical skills while placing a strong emphasis on their moral character. If he identified any issues with a player's integrity, he wouldn't sign them, no matter how talented they were.

After scanning Liverpool's lineup, Aldrich felt a twinge of doubt.

Among these talented players, he recognized Carragher and David Thompson, yet the rest didn't achieve significant fame later on—much like the '92 Class where not every player ended up successful, there were just a few standout stars, and that was something that couldn't be easily replicated.

Bending down, Aldrich leaned closer to Andrew and asked, "Why aren't Gerrard and Owen in the starting lineup for Liverpool?"

Andrew wasn't one to just play, unlike Aldrich, who was focused on training the team and studying opponents. His job was to observe and scout promising talents, building relationships beforehand; if he could sign them, great, and if not, it was still beneficial to have friendly ties to establish a broader network.

So, Aldrich's question was certainly relevant to Andrew, who spent his time moving between various youth teams.

Andrew pointed at the opposition's bench and replied, "Look, Thompson took the starting position, so Gerrard has to settle for being a substitute. As for that little Owen, you say he has so much talent—I used to believe that, but I think you may have misjudged him. Just look at David Larmore starting at forward; his name is far bigger than Owen's, and Owen is just his backup."

Aldrich felt a bit dizzy and furrowed his brow, "I know about Thompson, but Gerrard being a substitute because he lacks distinctiveness—essentially, he's too well-rounded. His offensive and defensive traits aren't particularly pronounced; this kind of player will shine in the future. Tell me more about David Larmore."

Andrew provided detailed information, clearly having a keen eye on this talented young star.

David Larmore was a prodigy whom McAuley worked hard to recruit; had he been any later, Larmore would have ended up with the Scottish giants, Glasgow Rangers.

In terms of speed, Owen may be slightly faster than Larmore, but Larmore's ability to read the game—and his football intellect—was clearly superior to Owen's, which is why Owen found himself stuck on the bench.

Aldrich focused his eyes on the Northern Irish prodigy, trying hard to remember if there had ever been a star named Larmore in the European football scene, but he couldn't recall such a player.

He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought.

Many gifted players never manage to realize their potential, which is entirely normal; the success rate in professional football is astonishingly low. Moreover, even those with talent require the right environment to grow; both external conditions and intrinsic qualities play crucial roles in determining ultimate success.

Some players give up, some get ruined by injuries, some are wasted by coaches, and others get buried in teams that clash with their characteristics...

At pivotal moments, just a few steps make all the difference; relying solely on hard work isn't sufficient. Those who succeed pave the way to bright futures while those who fall short get lost in obscurity.

Once the match began, both teams played with flair; they emphasized tactical attributes quite opposed to the mainstream English football style, meaning that physical confrontations were not particularly fierce. Instead, the focus was on teamwork and individual skill, both of which were bright spots in the matchup.

For Millwall, their midfield duo was Lampard and Pirlo, with Lampard leaning toward defense while Pirlo served as the central playmaker. Lampard covered a large area, capable of both attacking and defending, and with Pirlo receiving defensive support from Lampard, along with attacks being well-coordinated, they maintained solid possession of the ball.

However, Millwall struggled with no reliable striker; apart from Gronkjaer, who exhibited speed and skill, the other two forwards and the attacking midfielder had average talent, focusing more on teamwork than showcasing individual skills.

This left Millwall's offense strong in possession but lacking in goals.

Liverpool, on their end, played effectively, executing quick counterattacks with notable impact. Thompson showcased impressive attacking and defensive skills while demonstrating a significant running range.

Aldrich was paying close attention to Thompson but also keeping an eye on Larmore's performance up front.

He was curious to see what such a prodigy had in store to keep Owen benched.

Soon enough, Larmore gave Aldrich exactly what he was looking for.

His off-the-ball movements were very proactive, ensuring that defenders couldn't effectively mark him.

In one attacking play down the flank, Larmore initially pressed toward the center before suddenly pulling back to meet a perfectly timed pass, his footwork remarkably adept as he expertly nudged the ball. Just as the ball threaded through Ferdinand's legs, Larmore smoothly maneuvered around him, timing his shot perfectly to strike the ball into the net defended by Wright.

Liverpool took a 1-0 lead away.

Aldrich sat there, utterly stunned.

This wasn't solely about technique; his prior awareness combined with the rhythmic weight shifting while the defender repositioned made for a striking personal performance.

"Ha! I told you, he's the real talent; Owen's just slightly faster," Andrew laughed heartily.

Melanie, beaming, leaned into Aldrich's ear and laughed, "I'm winning this for sure!"

Aldrich shrugged, "There's still plenty of time left in the match."

Millwall had conceded, and Liverpool had scored, but neither coach celebrated nor expressed disappointment.

McAuley and Naji, as youth team coaches, understood this match bore little significance.

Training the players mattered far more than winning any championship.

This philosophy largely holds in European youth development, where national teams across various age categories often deliver lackluster performances in international competitions. Critics might say these kids are unreliable—they score plenty but also concede in droves, not appearing impressive.

In reality, this disconnect stems from the stark contrast between youth training principles and those of senior teams; senior teams need results, while youth teams do not!

Because youth teams focus on developing talent rather than chasing trophies.

Coaches place less harsh demands on young players; it's more important for them to showcase their talents, where creativity and spontaneity are encouraged more than in professional players. Thus, "chaotic" scorelines are not surprising.

The outcomes of youth competitions are not as vital, just like how topping your class in elementary school, high school, and even college entrance exams don't necessarily determine long-term success—the true test comes when stepping into society.

Millwall quickly equalized; Gronkjaer had made notable progress over the past few months, particularly in his ball-handling skills. Combined with his decent burst of speed, his shot after cutting inside, while not perfectly angled, saw Liverpool's goalkeeper fumble and let the ball sneak through his arms.

In the second half, Lampard helped the team regain the lead with a powerful long-range shot, and just before the end, Pirlo advanced with the ball and made a brilliant pass that sliced through Liverpool's defense. Gronkjaer made a well-timed run, rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted the ball into an empty net, sealing the score at 3-1.

Millwall hoisted the FA Youth Cup trophy for the season.

As the match concluded, Aldrich, along with the other spectators, rose to applaud the young players' performances.

He leaned forward and asked Andrew, "Do you know how much longer David Larmore's contract has?"

"Yeah, he's still got one year left with Liverpool, but they're considering a new contract for him. They wouldn't want to let go of such a prodigy," Andrew replied.

"Keep an eye on his contract. If there's an opportunity, I want to bring him to Millwall; a player like that is wasted at Liverpool," Aldrich said.

"Sure, I'll keep track of it."

In this match, beyond scoring, Larmore created many opportunities for his teammates; he performed just as well as Thompson within Liverpool, though it seemed his teammates struggled to keep pace with his thoughts, often lagging behind in their coordination.

Yet, this type of player was exactly what Aldrich favored—a forward with an excellent ability to read the game, a keen sense of playmaking, and impressive speed and explosiveness. Being able to both pass and score easily warranted his label as a prodigy.

As Aldrich walked out of the Den stadium, he joked with Melanie, "So you're learning to cook? I just hope it doesn't leave me running to the bathroom."

Melanie looked back at him, surprised, and said, "What does that have to do with me? You won!"

"Yeah, I did win, so you owe me dinner."

"No, no, no! Whoever wins pays. Aldrich the chef, you'll be showing off your skills tonight."

Aldrich was taken aback, then let out a wry smile as he shook his head and climbed into his old BMW.