Young people always have endless energy.
After finishing afternoon training, many of the young players would stay behind at the Thorp Arch training base to practice on their own.
This obviously wasn't something the club encouraged.
After all, training loads were already high. Add matches to that, and if players weren't careful, extra practice on their own could easily lead to injury.
So the coaching staff had put specific measures in place for this, even prohibiting certain players from doing extra individual training.
But there were always exceptions.
Take Vardy, for example.
When Gao Shen asked about Vardy, the Englishman was in the gym, doing recovery work on the bike.
From the surveillance footage at the training base, you could see that he was working hard, drenched in sweat.
And by now, everyone was used to it.
At Thorp Arch, everyone knew Vardy was something of an anomaly.
He was a substitute with little playing time. He had never played in the professional leagues before, only in the lowest levels of amateur and semi-professional football. It was even said that before joining Leeds United, he worked in a factory.
But he was still hand-picked to join the team.
That alone was enough for Vardy to secure a spot at Leeds United.
Want more playing time?
Sure. Prove it in training.
But for now, his ability still wasn't enough.
"In the past few years, he's never received professional or scientific training. From his eating habits to his daily routine to his playing style, nothing meets the required standard."
After Vardy joined, Paco Cerullo, the head of methodology, designed a tailored training plan for him. No one understood Vardy better than him.
"For example, in terms of playing habits, many of the moves he used in outdoor pitches, amateur or semi-pro leagues, are not permitted in Championship-level matches. If those habits aren't corrected, we can't risk giving him too much game time."
Gao Shen nodded. He understood the concern.
One mistake from a player could cost you dearly.
"His diet was also a mess. Drinking alcohol was common. Very unhealthy. His lifestyle had to be adjusted too. He's a player known for explosive speed, so targeted strength training is essential. Without that, he'll be prone to injuries, or even repeated ones."
There were plenty of similar cases. Robben, for instance, was a textbook example. Even the Bayern medical team struggled with him later on.
Now at Manchester City, his playing time was carefully managed. Gao Shen and the coaching staff only used him in key matches, which reduced his league appearances.
That's also why he lost out to Suarez in the UEFA Best Player award.
In terms of performance alone, Robben was in no way inferior to Suarez or Gareth Bale.
"We've done an in-depth study on Vardy's condition. From the perspectives of medicine, sports science, and physiotherapy, we all believe he needs more time to recover after high-intensity matches or training sessions."
"At the same time, his diet needs to be strictly managed. He has to increase his intake of milk and high-protein foods. His muscle training is targeted, and we've also selected a few recovery supplements for him. We combine this with the gym's bikes, foam rollers, alternating hot and cold baths, and other equipment to aid in his recovery and physical conditioning."
"Next, we're planning to purchase a cryo chamber, which will be even better for player recovery."
Unlike his previous life, Vardy now made a direct leap from a low-tier league to the Championship, giving him no time to adapt.
In his previous life, Vardy had a year to adjust in the lower-tier professional leagues before joining Leicester City.
Even then, when he joined Leicester—who were still in the Championship at the time—Vardy experienced serious discomfort and it took him an entire year to find his form again.
In fact, if you study Vardy's career closely, you'll see that he's the textbook example of a grassroots success story.
All of it came down to hard work and self-improvement.
After joining Leicester in the Championship, he took a full year to adjust. When Leicester got promoted to the Premier League, he needed another year to adapt.
That's actually quite normal. It's the most realistic trajectory for an ordinary person.
Every time he moved up a level, he would struggle at first, but then progress quickly. And it was all thanks to his relentless hard work.
"He called me," Gao Shen said, unable to hold back a laugh as he looked at the sweaty Englishman on the surveillance screen.
Everyone was surprised.
"It was around the end of September. He told me he couldn't take it anymore. It was too hard. He felt like he was suffering every day. He cried and begged me to let him go, to let him return to his old job. He didn't want to play football anymore."
No one could laugh after hearing that.
They could all imagine how desperate Vardy must've been when he called Gao Shen.
It was truly inhuman.
Let's not even talk about anything else. For an average person to lose weight requires enormous willpower.
But Vardy wasn't just losing weight. He was overhauling his diet, his daily habits, his playing style. He was trying to "lose weight" in every part of his life.
Who could endure that?
"So why did he stay?" Sarri asked. Having come from a grassroots background and changed careers himself, he could empathize.
Gao Shen shrugged. "I didn't say anything. I told him I'd pretend I never got the call and to calm down overnight. If he still wanted to go back the next morning, he could call me again."
"Did he call back?" Borrell asked.
Everyone laughed.
If he had, would he still be here?
"Do you know what's special about him?"
Gao Shen looked at the shirtless figure in the surveillance feed and asked emotionally.
Everyone fell silent, deep in thought.
"He's more like an ordinary person. An ordinary person who works incredibly hard," Su Qing answered.
Once she said it, everyone immediately understood.
Gao Shen smiled at his wife. The two of them were truly in sync.
"For so many years, when we talk about football, we mention Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Zidane, Ronaldinho… all generational talents."
"There's no denying that these geniuses have dominated the game. They're kings of the pitch, gods even, but they're not ordinary people."
Gao Shen wasn't mocking or criticizing anyone. He was simply stating a fact.
"But I sometimes wonder, what about the rest of us? If we're not as talented, does that mean we're worthless? Does that mean we can't survive, can't compete, or even succeed in professional football?"
Gao Shen's voice was gentle, without a hint of criticism, but his words struck like thunder in everyone's hearts.
Isn't professional football supposed to be for the elite?
A talented player might not succeed, but one without talent definitely won't.
Does Vardy have talent?
Yes, and not a small amount. For instance, he's extremely fast, and that's a form of talent too.
But he wasted so many years. He worked on a factory assembly line. He looks like any ordinary person. Nothing special.
In fact, he's not even good-looking.
"When I saw him play, I wondered, can he do it? Can hard work alone take him from the bottom of the football pyramid to the England national team, even to the Premier League's top scorer or a Premier League title?"
"You know, I don't believe in fate. I believe hard work can change destiny. So I want to take this chance on him. I want to see him change his fate with his own effort!"
"This will also be the spirit we uphold at Leeds United!"
After hearing Gao Shen's words, everyone present suddenly understood many things.
Like why he valued Vardy so much.
Simply put, this wasn't just about reshaping Vardy. It was also about reshaping Leeds United, reshaping Gao Shen, and reshaping themselves.
Football is the world's most popular sport because it brings happiness to everyone.
It shouldn't be just a game for the elite. The top leagues shouldn't be a stage solely for geniuses. There should be room for players like Vardy, who are less gifted but no less determined.
If Vardy succeeds, that would be a real football story.
A pure and original football success.
It's never easy to train a professional footballer. But destroying one is very easy.
That goes for Vardy, and every other young player.
Many teams don't want to focus on youth development or promoting young players, because it's too hard.
Especially now, with more specialization and greater competition.
Schneiderlin has performed well this season, but there's still a lot of room for growth and potential waiting to be unlocked.
What the team needs now is for him to improve gradually, bit by bit. That won't happen overnight.
You can't overload him with too much all at once.
Anyone who's played football knows that there's no time to think on the pitch. Especially in high-level matches, you play on instinct.
So the coaching staff has to break down tactical concepts into pieces, convey them bit by bit, and adjust them over time. This process could take a long time, or it might never fully succeed.
Gao Shen still remembered how, in his previous life, Schneiderlin had transferred to Nice in Ligue 1 and later reflected on his time at Manchester United. He believed that impatience had led to his failure.
He also thought Van Gaal's requirements were too many and too rigid.
Van Gaal was so strict that he demanded his players follow his system precisely after receiving the ball, instead of relying on their instincts.
That leads to a very real problem. Players who are familiar with Van Gaal's system know what to do without thinking. But those who aren't must pause and think about the coach's expectations.
That means losing their instincts and slowing down their reactions. They start forcing themselves to follow the coach's instructions, even when it goes against their natural playing style.
"Gradually, your confidence disappears bit by bit."
So from the very beginning, Gao Shen knew that if Leeds United wanted to succeed, it had to be open and tolerant, accepting mistakes and showing patience.
Put simply, I know you made a mistake, but I still trust you. Keep playing. Keep doing what you're doing. As long as you're moving in the right direction, you'll succeed eventually!
That's the kind of environment where young players grow.
A team full of energy and imagination, a team made for developing youth, and the most unique team in European football right now.
And now, it's only just beginning.
(To be continued.)
***
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