The Nike contract pushed Tendou's reputation to its peak once again. The double championship was a confirmation of his ability, while this contract was a testament to his commercial value. Even with the floating clauses, Tendou had truly reached the level of Messi and Ronaldo.
When the entire Liverpool squad returned to the city of Liverpool, a grand championship parade for the Champions League and the league titles was waiting for them.
A day had already passed since Liverpool won the final. Mentally, the players were still ecstatic. But physically, a tide of exhaustion was washing over them. As the adrenaline from the victory subsided, many players had only one thought in their minds: turn off their phones, turn off their alarms, and get a good, long sleep.
When they reassembled at the training ground, a large crowd of fans was already waiting at the entrance. When Tendou drove by, the crowd erupted in cheers. Tendou rolled down his window and, taking a pen, began signing autographs for these lovely fans. There were many of them, but he didn't find it tiresome. Thirty years for a Premier League title... the people of Liverpool had waited for too long.
Then, Arnold also drove up. Seeing Tendou stopped to sign autographs, he followed suit.
At five in the evening, the Liverpool team bus slowly pulled out of the training ground. On the bus, some of the men were dressed in sharp suits, while others wore trendy, individualistic outfits. They began the championship parade, following a pre-planned route. The procession would last for three hours.
The bus moved very slowly. The sides of the streets were packed with fans; some had even climbed into trees. The Liverpool players continuously waved to the fans and took photos with their phones. From Queen's Drive to Millbank, then to West Derby Road, Islington, Leeds Street, The Strand, and finally to Blundell Street.
The cost of the championship parade was shared by the team and the city government. A single parade could help Liverpool attract millions of tourists. Everywhere the Liverpool bus went, it was met with cheers and applause. The Premier League trophy and the Champions League trophy silently showed off the immense success they had achieved this season.
They reached the final destination. The entire Liverpool team arrived at a temporarily constructed celebration stage. Music began to play. The group sang and danced, each taking turns holding the trophies to take photos with the fans below.
Henderson walked out with a microphone. As the captain, he gave a speech.
"Thank you for your support. Thank you for always being there for us, through thick and thin."
"We are here once again, bringing back to this city its first-ever Premier League trophy and its sixth Champions League trophy..."
Henderson's words were filled with nothing but gratitude. Gratitude for the fans, for his teammates and coaches, and for the club. In 2011, he came to Liverpool, and in 2015, he became the captain. He had dedicated most of his career to Liverpool. For Liverpool, he truly felt nothing but gratitude. His biggest dream was to help Liverpool win something. Now, it had finally come true.
Next up were Salah, Mané, Milner, and other players. The Liverpool fans gave them immense support.
Klopp also came to the front.
"In 2015, I came from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, right here."
"I had quite a few options at the time, but after a two-hour conversation with the Liverpool management, I was determined to become Liverpool's manager."
"In my conversation with them, I learned that this was a great club truly focused on football. I believed we could achieve something great together."
"So, I made a public promise back then: within 4 years, I must help Liverpool win at least one major trophy. Otherwise, I would leave."
"I have fulfilled my promise. And not just one trophy, but two. And in the future, we will win even more!"
Hearing this, the fans became even more enthusiastic.
When the fans quieted down, Klopp continued, "And what makes me happiest is the arrival of TJ, who has brought us fresh blood and made us more competitive."
"I think we all owe him a grand welcoming ceremony! Come on, TJ, say something!"
"TJ!"
"You are Liverpool's TJ!"
"..."
Before Tendou could even speak, the crowd below was already singing his personal song. To think that six months ago, Liverpool fans thought the club had lost its mind for spending millions on a 17-year-old kid, an Asian kid at that. And now? They wouldn't sell him for €200 million. They couldn't bear to sell him!
After a good while, Tendou finally had a chance to speak.
"I've been in this place for six months, but... damn it, your passion always gets my brain so excited that I feel like I have to do something!"
"ROAR~"
The fans roared in perfect coordination, supporting the absolute hero who had helped them win the titles.
"But I'm a very petty person who holds grudges. I still remember what you all said when I first arrived here." He imitated the fans' resentful tone from back then, "'F*ck, our chairman and manager must be crazy, how could they spend millions on a little brat who still needs to be weaned off milk...'"
"Hahahaha."
The fans roared with laughter, clearly remembering the difficult reception Tendou had faced when he first arrived.
Tendou's eyes were sharp. He suddenly squatted down at the edge of the stage and pointed to one of the fans. "That's right, I'm talking about you! You're the bastard who said I wasn't worth a single pound and even thoughtfully prepared diapers for me to wear on the pitch, because you thought the intensity of the Premier League would make me piss my pants."
"Hahahaha..."
The fans burst into laughter again. The fan Tendou was pointing at was also laughing. And he was wearing a Tendou jersey.
Tendou asked him, "So now, how much do you think I'm worth?" He held the microphone out to that fan.
The fan shouted loudly into the microphone, "Priceless! No matter how much other clubs offer, Liverpool won't sell you!"
"YES! Priceless!" Tendou stood up and shouted. "All the stories that have happened in Liverpool over these past years are priceless!"
He pointed to the Premier League trophy. "This trophy, you waited 30 years for it!"
Then he pointed to the Big Ears trophy. "And this one, you waited 14 years for it!"
"SO, for me, the most precious thing is not these two trophies, but what they represent."
"You spent 30 years investing all your spirit into the team. You desired success for Liverpool more than anyone, even more than us!"
"So what I want to say is, thank you!"
"Thank you for believing, thank you for never giving up, thank you for standing by our side until today, just like the lyrics of 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' accompanying us through wind and rain!"
"These things are priceless. The story happening here will continue, even for hundreds, even thousands of years. Long live Liverpool..."
"Long live Liverpool!"
"Long live Liverpool!"
"Long live Liverpool!"
"..."
The fans surged, and the five words that formed that English phrase echoed throughout the entire city.
Klopp, Salah, Arnold, and his other teammates all applauded from the side. They thought to themselves, "This kid is pretty good with words!"