Fox in the Penalty Area

Taking off his shirt, Hu Lai, with his upper body naked, stood in front of the team doctor Tom Middel, and then turned back to him.

Then Midel used three fingers to pinch the skin folds under his shoulder blades, clamped it with an instrument that looked like pliers, and then wrote the reading aside with a pen. Repeat the test again, and after three tests, take an intermediate value.

After taking the skinfold measurement, Hu Lai turned around and put on his clothes, and asked Midel: "How much, Mr. Midel?"

"6.8. There is progress, Hu, but continue to work hard." Dr. Middle filled the middle value into the table in the computer while answering Hu Lai.

The skinfold thickness of Hu Lai who just joined the team is recorded in this table, 5.1. In a month, the thickness of his skinfolds increased to 6.8, not just as simple as progress, but by a great deal.

Skinfold thickness measurement is an important indicator for inferring the body fat content and judging the development of subcutaneous fat. It is used to detect the body fat content of players in football events.

What is pinched up with your fingers is the belt fat, and then by measuring the thickness, a conclusion can be drawn about the amount of subcutaneous fat in the player.

Generally speaking, for professional players, the skinfold thickness is between 7-12, less than 7 is considered weight loss, and greater than 12 is considered high body fat, requiring fat reduction.

Although Hu Lai is not considered to have reached the average value of professional players, it is already very close to that threshold. Therefore, the team doctor’s advice to the head coach Tony Clark is that Hu Lai’s physical condition can play, and he will not be injured when he collides with his opponent. Generally speaking, if the skinfold thickness is lower than 5, it is considered Has a high chance of injury.

Of course, if Hu Lai's physical condition fully meets the requirements, I am afraid that Hu Lai will be able to play in the past few months.

At that time, Leeds City spent 12 million pounds to buy the players, when the team needed the most combat power to relegation, but they failed the skinfold thickness test and could not appear. Not to mention that Nevin Ball disagreed, and Tony Clark would not agree.

Hearing what the team doctor said, Hu Laimei put on clothes and walked out of the team doctor's office, and then ran into Charlie Potter who was waiting for him outside: "How about, Hu?"

"Mr. Middle said I have made great progress."

Porter said with emotion: "Even if I don't look at the results of your skinfold test, I know you have made a lot of progress. To be honest, you used to say that you changed from a football layman to a Premier League player in only five years, and so did I. I don't believe it... but now I believe it!"

Vieira, who was next to him, also nodded and said in Spanish: "I believe it too. Your progress is like riding a super sports car."

Then Potter grabbed Hu Lai's shoulder and squeezed hard: "Congratulations, Hu. You can be selected for the big list!"

Before each game, the Leeds City players will come to team doctor Middle for a skinfold test according to the requirements of the head coach Tony Clark to see how their physical condition changes during this time.

If someone's skinfold test results are not satisfactory, then it is difficult for him to get the chance to enter the competition list.

Porter didn’t know that Hu Lai had been on the squad long ago. Clark asked Hu Lai to keep secrets from other players, so Hu Lai didn’t mention a word-he not only kept secrets from his teammates, but actually only kept his own. The agent Yong Jun and Li Qingqing talked about this.

He didn't say anything in the friends group.

※※※

After the training, Tony Clark stood in front of all the players with a hard board. Everyone knew that this was about to announce the squad for the league tomorrow.

"I got my name. I will participate in tomorrow's game." Clark glanced at the players, bowed his head and began to say the names.

"Mike van der Wynn, Farek Quinn, Luke Davis..."

Some of the people whose names he said were happy, and some were calm.

It wasn't until the end that Tony Clark reported Hu Lai's name: "Hu Lai."

Some of the teammates whistled: "Congratulations, Hu!"

Hu Lai quickly handed over to everyone: "Thank you, thank you!"

In fact, everyone was a little surprised that Hu Lai entered the roster so late. After all, as the most valuable Leeds City player in the winter transfer window, it took a month to enter the game list, which is really unexpected. Everyone thought that in the next round of the league after the FA Cup, Hulai would enter the big list.

After all, everyone knows that he is loved and trusted by head coach Tony Clark.

As a result, everyone once again realized the strict requirements of the head coach in Hu Lai-even if he called the players to come, he was surprised to let Hu Lai practice for a month before entering the big list.

As for Hu Lai himself, facing this kind of treatment, he did not complain or frustrate. Instead, he trained every day with a positive attitude. In the eyes of the big guys, he had a better impression of this new player.

If Hu Lai relied that he was the person the head coach liked, he would enjoy the privileges. Many people would not say anything, but would look down on him in their hearts.

※※※

The eighteen players who were selected for the competition squad lived in the dormitory of the training base directly after the training-different from the upper and lower beds where they took a nap, this time they lived in a dedicated dormitory. A room for two people, in the podium next to the main building.

Because of the special nature of the Leeds training base and home stadium, the club was able to save hotel and transportation costs for the home game.

Those players who did not need to participate in tomorrow's game left after bathing and changing in the locker room.

Hu Lai went to the restaurant for dinner with the other 17 teammates who were going to participate in the competition.

There he found something strange.

The first is the nutritionist Ms. Mia Schmidt, who will always appear in the restaurant during the players' meals. She wore a big red suit today with her plump body, which looked particularly festive.

In addition, there are some staff from Leeds City TV, the official media of the Leeds City Club. They were carrying cameras, apparently waiting for a long time. When they saw Hu Lai entering the restaurant, they pointed the camera at him.

Leeds City TV often appeared on the training court to take pictures of the players' training. Hu Lai was accustomed to their existence, and he didn't pay much attention to himself because the camera lens was pointed at him. He turned his eyes to the windows of the restaurant. .

Compared with the lunch at noon, there are more red window grilles on the glass windows of the restaurant in the evening.

In Leeds City TV footage, Ms. Schmidt served Hu Lai his dinner beside him: "Happy Chinese New Year, Hu!"

Hu Lai looked down at the dumplings on the plate and asked curiously, "Thank you, Ms. Schmidt, are these dumplings stuffed with chicken breast?"

Ms. Schmidt frowned slightly: "Are there any dumplings stuffed with chicken breast? No, these are stuffed with beef."

"Wow, are these dumplings? Do we have them, Ms. Schmidt?" The other Leeds City players who followed Hu Lai had big eyes when they saw the things on Hu Lai's plate. They were very envious.

"Of course it is. Today is Chinese New Year. The team restaurant has prepared beef dumplings for everyone." Ms. Schmidt pointed to the dining table. There was a stainless steel vat on which was floating densely packed dumplings. .

They are real Chinese dumplings, stuffed with white skin, tumbling in the soup.

"I ate in'Red Pepper', it was really delicious..." Charlie Potter flaunted.

Ms. Schmidt next to her asked with her hands on her hips, "Charlie, when did you sneak away to eat Chinese food?"

"Uh..." Potter exposed himself without expecting to brag.

Seeing his embarrassment, there was a joyous laughter in the restaurant.

It's really a New Year atmosphere.

After dinner, the club also prepared some activities specifically for the Chinese New Year. For example, they took turns sitting in front of the camera lens of Leeds City TV, speaking the Chinese language they just learned from Hu Lai temporarily, and sending them to the Chinese fans who are thousands of miles away. Happy Holidays.

As China's influence becomes stronger and stronger, China's traditional Spring Festival has naturally gained a certain position in the world. Especially in European football, many giant teams will also launch similar small events during the Spring Festival for the Chinese market to please Chinese fans.

But this kind of activity in the past has nothing to do with the small club in Leeds.

After all, they are tens of thousands of miles away from the Chinese market.

If you spend that time trying to please Chinese fans, you might only be laughed at. They are crazy about money.

Not only Leeds, many non-rich clubs will not deliberately do some promotional activities for the Chinese New Year.

But now Leeds has changed. With the addition of Chinese players, it is logical for them to do the Spring Festival special.

This is why the club’s commercial director Harry Bradley hopes Tony Clark can put Hulai in the roster for this game.

He doesn't care about the other games, but Hu Lai must be in the big list in this game.

Because this game and the Chinese New Year coincided in one day.

If Hu Lai did not make the list, all the promotion activities planned by the club about the spring would be meaningless.

The Chinese fans will not think that Leeds City respects them, they will only think that Leeds City is using them to make money.

Although everyone knows that a European club player stumbles and speaks Chinese, he must be hoping to get money from the pockets of Chinese fans. But since you want to make our money, you have to serve us and be happy first. If you are happy, you will be rewarded. That's normal.

There is no Hu Lai in the game, so how happy?

Chinese fans are not happy, Leeds can't even make a cent!

※※※

Earlier, some people gathered outside the gate of the Flanders Park training base next to the Flanders Stadium in Leeds City. They were all waiting for the Leeds City players who had finished training to come out.

There are photographers, reporters, and ordinary fans.

However, because the team’s performance was not satisfactory, the number of fans blocking the players to sign on the side of the training field was much less, but the photographers and reporters became more and more. Obviously they all wanted to inquire about the outside world from the players. The internal news of the team that is unknown.

During the team's turmoil, internal gossip is the media's biggest concern.

Among the reporters on the outside, there are also Chinese reporters. They are equally concerned about these internal gossips, but they are more concerned about Hu Lai.

So even if today is New Year's Eve, they still stick to their jobs just to get more news about Hu Lai.

When the reporter asked Hu Lai when he would get a chance to play in the Premier League, he said that he was practicing in retreat, so he didn't know when he would play, and he didn't care very much. Anyway, everything was arranged by the coach.

He may not care, but the national fans care...

Especially at this moment, especially care!

The gate of the training base opened, and players drove away one after another.

Some of them stopped to accept simple interviews with reporters, or gave the fans autographs and group photos, and some drove away directly.

The Chinese reporters didn’t realize one thing until no more cars came out of it: they didn’t seem to see Hu Lai just now...

A group of people looked at each other, and then these experienced football reporters all reacted-what does it mean to stay in the training base instead of going home the day before the game?

This means that Hu Lai has entered the big list for tomorrow's game!

Almost all reporters turned their heads down and turned on their phones at the same time. Although the Leeds City Club has not officially announced the list of matches, they can't wait to publish their findings on the Internet.

※※※

There was a Spring Festival Gala on the TV, and people outside the TV were scattered and sitting in every corner of the house.

Xie Lan was sitting on the sofa with her mobile phone in her hand, while taking time to watch two kinds of TV. But whether it's a mobile phone or a TV, she actually didn't pay attention to it.

She was in a daze, bored, and didn't know what to do.

Even on this lively New Year's Eve.

She went back to her natal family with her husband. Now she is at her parents’ home, accompanied by her father and mother, as well as the second sister’s family who came from other places to celebrate the New Year, as well as the eldest brother, second brother and eldest sister who were originally in Jincheng. The whole family.

The 90-square-meter old house was crowded with people. The men smoked and chatted on the balcony. The second brother was asking Hu Lixin about the football coach qualification certificate. The women watched the Spring Festival Gala with their old father and mother. Talking about the difficulty of the acrobatics show just now~www.ltnovel.com~Young people and children are not interested in the Spring Festival Gala, so they sit around the dining table and chat on their phones.

The grandpa sitting in the middle of the sofa looked at this big son, with great satisfaction.

After so many years, everyone can sit down so happy.

Just one person...

At this moment, Peng Hao at the table suddenly yelled: "Little aunt!"

His voice attracted everyone's attention.

The women who were watching the Spring Festival Gala, the men who were smoking and bragging on the balcony outside the living room, and the young people at the dining table beside him couldn't help but cast their eyes on him.

With all eyes in sight, Peng Hao raised his cell phone excitedly: "Little aunt! Hu Lai... Cousin Hu Lai is on the list for tomorrow's competition!"

"Really wow?" I saw Xie Lan exclaimed, then jumped up from the sofa and ran towards Peng Hao.

He snatched his phone again.

Above that is a news page of Goal.com.

The content of the news is very simple, just a short paragraph:

Leeds City announced the squad for tomorrow's home game against Sidham. Chinese player Hu Lai was selected.

She raised her head and laughed.

Others crowded around to see Peng Hao's cell phone.

"Yeah? Really!"

"Oh, congratulations to my little sister!"

"Now you can watch the football tomorrow!"

The elder brother waved his hand: "I will go to my house for dinner tomorrow night, and watch the football together after dinner! Cheer my nephew!"

Xie Lan was still smiling, and tears came out as she smiled.

January 28, 2025, the twenty-ninth lunar month, New Year's Eve.

On this night, all Chinese fans knew that their "Hope of the whole village", Hu Lai, who had been training in retreat in order to adapt to the rivalry rhythm of the Premier League game, was out.

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