Chapitre 17: New Year
[The match has ended]
[Calculating your rating...]
[Rating: 9.8]
[You were instrumental in the team's attack with three goals and also contributed significantly to defense.]
[Congratulations! You have earned 3 attribute points.]
Kenneth allocated the points to balance, agility, and dribbling, bringing him closer to the level of performance he aspired to achieve.
Meanwhile, 2014, a year full of memories, came to an end, and 2015 arrived.
A few days after Manchester City's match against Burnley, the English media once again seemed mesmerized by Kenneth. Almost every football-focused publication in England featured him in their latest articles.
---
The Sun
"Midfield Marvel! 16-Year-Old Kenneth Lee Nets Hat-Trick in December Masterclass"
Subtitle: "City's young playmaker ends the year with a hat-trick against Burnley – is this the future of England's midfield?"
---
The Guardian
"Kenneth Lee: The 16-Year-Old Midfield Prodigy Powering City's December Surge"
Subtitle: "From orchestrating play to scoring goals, Lee's December performance is rewriting expectations for young English midfielders."
---
Daily Mail
"Kenneth Lee Stuns Premier League: City's 16-Year-Old Midfield Wonder Scores Hat-Trick Against Burnley!"
Subtitle: "With goals against Everton, Leicester, and Burnley, could this teenage maestro be England's next great playmaker?"
---
The Mirror
"City's Midfield Maestro! 16-Year-Old Kenneth Lee Finishes December with 6 Goals!"
Subtitle: "Lee caps off a stellar month with a hat-trick – redefining what's possible for an English midfielder."
---
BBC Sport
"Kenneth Lee's December of Dreams: 16-Year-Old Midfielder Scores Hat-Trick Against Burnley"
Subtitle: "From assists to goals, the young midfielder dominates December, igniting hopes for England's future."
---
The Times
"Kenneth Lee, 16, Lights Up Premier League with Midfield Hat-Trick!"
Subtitle: "Ending 2014 with a stunning hat-trick against Burnley, City's rising star has England's football fans buzzing."
---
Additionally, The Independent, Sky Sports, The Athletic, The Telegraph, and other major outlets also featured articles about him. From late December to the start of the new year, any fan of English football would have certainly heard Kenneth Lee's name.
"Mom, why are you buying so many newspapers?" Kenneth asked curiously, noticing his mother purchasing a large stack that day.
"Of course, to display all the articles about you! One day, you'll look back at these and remember the beginning of your career," Jessica replied with a smile.
Kenneth felt his mother had a point, even if the idea of showcasing the articles still made him feel a little embarrassed.
"Alright then, I'll help."
He sat down, grabbed a pair of scissors, and began cutting out the articles featuring his name. These clippings would later be arranged on a large board and displayed on the wall.
In the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sunderland, Kenneth was not included in the senior squad. Manchester City managed to secure a 3-2 victory in that game.
During the post-match press conference, a journalist asked about Kenneth's absence from the squad. Pellegrini emphasized that Kenneth is still young and needs time to develop gradually rather than having too much pressure placed on him. While his response frustrated some journalists, they couldn't criticize City as the team had won the match.
On January 4, during an U21 Premier League match against Southampton U21, Kenneth was on the bench but did not play. Manchester City U21 was held to a draw in this game.
Before the match, Vieira had informed Kenneth that the medical staff found signs of fatigue in his body, so he wasn't given any playing time.
Many media outlets asked Vieira about the situation, and he provided detailed explanations for why Kenneth was not included. Most media accepted his reasoning, except for The Sun.
The next day, The Sun published an article titled "Manchester City Restricting Kenneth Lee's Playing Time to Prevent Foreign Clubs from Triggering His Release Clause."
The article mentioned the release clause in Kenneth's latest contract with Manchester City, specifically the £45 million clause for clubs outside of England.
This led many City fans to question the club about the validity of the claims. Before the situation escalated, Steven advised Kenneth to issue a statement. With Steven's help, Kenneth clarified the matter, explaining that he was indeed fatigued and enjoying the New Year holidays. The issue was resolved after his clarification.
"I didn't expect being famous to come with this many problems," Kenneth said to someone over his iPhone.
"Well, this is just the beginning. You'll deal with situations like this often in the future, so get used to it. By the way, I found that Erling Haaland you mentioned. He looks so skinny. I don't know where you got your information."
Hearing his uncle's complaint, Kenneth replied casually, "Just keep an eye on his career. I've seen him play once, and I have a feeling he'll become a great player. If he doesn't show any potential in the next year or two, you can forget about him."
Starting next season, Erling Haaland would be showcasing his talent in Bryne's reserve team. When the time came, Steven would likely recognize Haaland's abilities.
"Oh, and I also checked out the other players you recommended: James Maddison and Harry Maguire. I admit both are quite good. Maddison is 18 right now, and it would be a waste if he stayed at Coventry. But Maguire already has an agent."
"That's unfortunate."
"Do you have any other suggestions?"
"No, if you take on too many players, you won't be able to manage me properly, Uncle Steven."
"Hmm, you're right. Let's focus on you for now. The more successful you are, the more recognition I'll get," Steven replied.
Kenneth ended the call. Argentina and Brazil were brimming with talent, but any player showing potential would already be marked by local agents there. Portugal, on the other hand, was essentially Jorge Mendes' backyard. Moreover, many players preferred to have someone they trusted, often family members, act as their agent.
Kenneth's reason for helping Steven was his desire to influence the transfers of players he admired. If the future always stayed the same, it would become dull, but if it changed too drastically, it could be disorienting. Thus, Kenneth wanted to experiment by subtly shaping the future.
"Today's the FA Cup, right?" Kenneth checked the clock. It was 2:55 PM, and the FA Cup match between Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday was set to kick off at 3:00 PM.
Kenneth left his room, headed to the living room, turned on the television, grabbed some healthy snacks from the fridge, and settled in to watch the match.
In this game, Bersant Celina made the squad and was sitting on the bench. Kenneth hoped to see his friend make his debut.
Manchester City played on the offensive, but Sheffield Wednesday's counterattacks were just as dangerous. In the 5th minute, Sheffield launched an attack, but Bacary Sagna cleared the ball to safety.
City pressed Sheffield with even more intensity, but Sheffield stood their ground, matching City's attacks with quick counterattacks.
Sheffield Wednesday scored first after Stevie May received a long pass from a teammate. He controlled the ball, dribbled into the penalty box, and then passed to Atdhe Nuhiu. Nuhiu struck a right-footed shot to the lower right corner from the center of the penalty area.
After conceding, City pushed hard to equalize and managed to do so in the second half through a James Milner goal in the 66th minute.
The match was fiercely contested, with Sheffield Wednesday creating several clear chances they couldn't capitalize on. Ultimately, Manchester City edged ahead in injury time when Milner scored his second goal, securing the victory.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone