章 522: A Fragile Genius
Aldrich initially welcomed Andrew's visit, thinking it saved him the trouble of making a phone call. However, after Andrew left, Aldrich became so preoccupied with handling Thierry's situation that it wasn't until his emotions settled that he realized he hadn't addressed the main task at hand.
Player recruitment.
After a midday break, Aldrich called Andrew's company to request a complete list of all registered players in England's U18 category.
Leveraging his connections within the English FA, Andrew could now easily obtain such registration lists.
As a private organization, the English FA oversees football across England, including non-professional leagues. While the specifics of local leagues are managed by their respective committees, all basic player registration information is filed at the FA headquarters.
Although these records are not confidential, the database is vast. For Andrew, this access significantly eased his workload, enabling efficient use of England's annually updated data.
Meanwhile, Adam was in a bit of a fix. Earlier that morning, he had casually mentioned David Beckham and Michael Owen's names during a press interaction. Now, rumors were swirling across England that Millwall might be pursuing these two players!
Manchester United quickly issued an official statement, denying Millwall's interest in Beckham and emphasizing Beckham's loyalty to the club.
Liverpool, however, faced a more challenging situation. Having gone years without a title, this traditional powerhouse was struggling to keep its stars patient with the club's stagnation.
News broke in London, and in no time, reporters flocked to Anfield by midday, eager to interview Owen. But instead of speaking, Owen sidestepped their questions and drove off without a word.
Such a move left everyone guessing.
If you want to stay, why not just say it outright?
What's with avoiding the press?
This summer has been full of drama for Millwall.
Following the club's press conference, the outside world understood that the Thierry situation was nearing resolution—unless, of course, Thierry decided to emulate his national teammate Anelka by refusing to join pre-season preparations.
Now, however, Millwall found itself mired in rumors of poaching.
Millwall is undeniably England's strongest team today.
Beckham and Owen—one the country's most famous star, the other its most talented striker—could they possibly join Millwall?
In the past, such rumors would have been laughed off.
But now? The public was watching, entertained yet not entirely dismissive. Should it happen, few would be surprised.
Fleet Street deemed it nearly impossible for Millwall to pry Beckham away. Trying to steal Ferguson's "prodigal son" was akin to snatching Ronaldinho from Aldrich—it seemed almost hopeless.
Owen, on the other hand, seemed a more plausible target.
That afternoon, Aldrich's phone buzzed incessantly.
Fleet Street reporters—many of whom were acquaintances—called repeatedly, but Aldrich refused to answer.
However, he couldn't ignore a call from the French national team's head coach.
Roger Lemerre hadn't had frequent dealings with Aldrich, but their professional relationship spanned years.
Since 1997, when Aldrich recommended Claude Makélélé and David Trezeguet to France, he had interacted with both Lemerre and his predecessor, Aimé Jacquet.
After Lemerre succeeded Jacquet in 1998, their exchanges became less frequent. Still, before major international tournaments, Lemerre would often ask Aldrich about the form of French internationals. It wasn't unusual to spot Lemerre in the stands during Millwall games, especially when they faced Arsenal.
"Aldrich, I'll do my best to convince Thierry to focus on his football at Millwall. As a coach, I believe staying at Millwall is the best choice for him. We both know that managing players sometimes means dealing with annoying situations. It's our duty to guide them and help them refocus, isn't it? I trust Thierry's professionalism, and if he stays, I'm sure he'll give his all for Millwall."
"Roger, no need to worry. There's no issue between Thierry and Millwall. Once he returns, he'll still be my starting striker. I agree with you—staying here is the best decision for him."
"Really? That's great to hear! Thank you. Young players can be impulsive at times. He should focus on contributing to his club. I believe this turbulence will pass soon."
"Absolutely. Goodbye."
Lemerre had always been supportive of his players. Last year, he even stepped up to mediate the conflict between Anelka and Arsenal. Though the attempt ultimately failed, Lemerre publicly criticized Anelka and issued warnings paired with some "suggestions." As a head coach, his ultimate hope was for his players to improve rather than stray off course.
Just as Aldrich ended a call with the French national team coach, another French manager rang him—Houllier.
The Liverpool boss casually inquired whether Millwall was truly interested in Michael Owen.
Hearing Houllier's question, Aldrich couldn't help but sense a touch of desperation in the man's tone.
If Millwall were to aggressively pursue Owen, Liverpool might struggle to resist. The historic club wouldn't easily turn down a lucrative transfer fee, and Owen himself would likely find Millwall's offer hard to refuse.
Houllier wasn't in much of a position to fight back. If Aldrich confirmed the interest, Houllier could try to persuade Owen to stay. If Owen couldn't be convinced, then Liverpool would have no choice but to negotiate a transfer fee. Financially, Liverpool was far from robust—years of investment had left them without even a Champions League berth to show for it, and their financial state was bleak.
Aldrich reassured Houllier that Millwall had no interest in Owen, putting the Liverpool manager's mind at ease.
Sure, Millwall could afford to sign Owen, but what then? Bringing him in might end up wasting his potential instead.
Back in his office, Aldrich requested another set of documents from the club's staff—this time, related to the Millwall Charity Shield U15 tournament. The file contained information on various U15 teams from across the nation, and Aldrich needed to review the player registration forms.
A knock on the door interrupted his focus.
"Come in," he called, looking up to see Nagy entering.
"Something on your mind?" Aldrich asked with a smile.
Nagy sat down, nodding. "Yes, there's a player I'm unsure about."
"Oh? Who?"
"Reyes. Have you been keeping an eye on him?"
Aldrich's smile widened. Reyes?
"He's excellent."
Reyes had arrived at Millwall last year at just 16 years old, and his talent was both dazzling and elegant. If he were English, the media would've been hyping him as the next Joe Cole by now.
But Nagy looked troubled. "He's also a problem child."
A child? Well, in their eyes, anyone not yet on the first team probably qualified as a "child."
Aldrich's smile faded. When discussing a player's specific circumstances, there was no room for joking—it required seriousness and precision.
"What exactly is the issue?"
"He's similar to Larmore in that he shies away from physical confrontations. But while Larmore's reluctance stems from psychological scars he developed growing up in this environment, while Reyes resists physicality as a choice. He prefers to let his technical finesse and ball control do the talking."
Aldrich wasn't surprised.
Historically, Reyes had been lambasted by Arsenal fans as a coward.
In England, you could survive without technique, speed, height, or weight, even if you were physically frail. But without the determination and will to engage in physical battles, survival was impossible. Whether the club was accommodating or not didn't matter—jeering and taunts from the stands would eventually force you out.
Aldrich had brought Reyes in without necessarily planning for him to become a permanent part of Millwall. If Reyes worked out, great. If not, selling him could still turn a profit.
At the very least, Aldrich harbored a small hope that Reyes could be molded into someone who embraced physical confrontations, aligning with the Premier League's style.
The two goals weren't mutually exclusive.
Players who seamlessly combined physical strength with technical talent often became stars in the Premier League.
"Why not take it slow, coach him patiently, and cultivate his ability to handle physical challenges?"
Aldrich was reluctant to make a call on Reyes' future at just 17. What if Reyes turned out to be a breakout star later, with Millwall ending up on the wrong side of history for giving up on him? It would be a humiliation far greater than letting Vieira go—after all, Vieira's departure had been due to age and squad limitations.
Nagy's expression grew more conflicted. He didn't want to make a hasty judgment about a young player either, but the reality wasn't optimistic.
"Players who fear physical challenges generally fall into two categories. The first is the fear of injury, and the second is psychological trauma caused by past injuries in such confrontations. David Larmore belongs to the latter. It took him over two years to overcome his struggles. While he's not completely fine now, he can handle appropriate match environments. Reyes, however, is in the first category. Over the past year, we've tried to increase his willingness to engage physically. He's made an effort, but towards the end of last season, he suffered a minor injury in the youth team. It only took two weeks to recover, but since then, it's like he's regressed back to square one and moved further away from our goals for him."
Nagy had recently noticed this during youth team training. Reyes's physical commitment had visibly declined—not in ability but in mindset. Physical engagement requires a proactive willingness to challenge, and Reyes had lost that instinct. This was a problem Aldrich couldn't ignore.
Aldrich remained silent for a long time. During the summer, the youth team had renewed contracts with several players, including Reyes, who had received a symbolic 30% salary increase. These contracts for promising young players were typically renewed annually to safeguard against sudden transfers and prevent significant losses.
He sighed and shook his head. "No, giving up now is premature. We just renewed his contract over the summer. Releasing him at this point would be too harsh—it would break him, and we're not that heartless. Nagy, let's show some patience and dedication. Give it a year or two. If he still doesn't live up to expectations, then we'll consider letting him go."
Nagy agreed and handed over a file. "This is a player recommended by an external agent for a trial. The youth team has decided to sign him, and we'll need the club to prepare a contract."
Aldrich wasn't surprised. Millwall's reputation as a "star factory" had grown significantly, attracting countless young players without professional contracts to try out for the club. Many were introduced by agents who likely struck deals with these players, promising to connect them with opportunities. If the trials succeeded, contracts would follow.
Though Aldrich didn't concern himself with these matters, he glanced at the document Nagy had handed him and couldn't help but smile.
Sixteen-year-old Robert Huth.
With players like Schneider, Klose, Butt, Metzelder, and former stars such as Ballack, Millwall had established a strong appeal to German players.
Bursting with enthusiasm, Aldrich wasted no time. He grabbed the phone and called the club staff, directing them to prepare a contract and deliver it to Huth.
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