Chapter 3: The First Arrival
"Ajax except for the first team, all other echelons belong to the sequence of youth teams, including the second team we are playing in the Dutch second division, in fact, it is also called Ajax Youth Team (Young Ajax), and below the second team is what we commonly call the U19 youth team (Ajax Juniors), below this team are all the echelons from U7 to U18, and there is an echelon for each age. Those who excel at all age levels will move on to the Under-19 team, which will represent Ajax in the UEFA Champions League and the Dutch youth league. Of course it's all youth level competitions, and if you want to play in the professional league, then you'll have to try to get promoted to the second team – I'm more used to calling it the second team, otherwise it will get confused. "
"So - Mr. Van der Sar, am I going to go to the Under-15s?"
"No, no, Lin, although you haven't played football before, your physical fitness is too good, your talent is too good, so we will let you go directly to the U18 echelon, which is the highest level in the youth echelon. I'd love to hear good news about your entry into the youth team, and I'm sure it won't be long. "
Van der Sar then took Link to the Ajax Academy's Under-18 training ground.
It is a large training ground consisting of 4 small fields divided into squares, next to which is a standard football field.
However, there are no stands on either side, only a few simple benches to serve as substitutes.
Lin Kedi looked around curiously.
At this time, the head coach of the Under-18 team, Enzo Cirens, saw the two who stepped into his turf.
He didn't know Link, but he was too familiar with Van der Sar next to Link.
So far away, as soon as he noticed it, he immediately trotted all the way over.
"Edwin, you don't come to us very often, do you? You go to the Green Zone every time. We are only less than 10 meters away from the Green Zone! But you've only been here this season as many times as you can count on one hand. "
As soon as he saw Van der Sar, Enzo immediately complained.
Van der Sar didn't answer Enzo first.
Instead, he turned to Link and said: "The green zone is over there - the U19 youth team, the top of the Ajax youth team, and many of the players there are already regulars in the second team, and even some people will not go to the second team at all, but will be promoted directly to the first team." "
Enzo was surprised to see Van der Sar take the initiative to talk to the dark-haired Asian kid next to him.
"Edwin, this is—"
"Enzo, you're not paying attention to your team's news. The talented boy we just signed today—"
"What's the matter, I've made the Ajax youth team my main business, and I can get alerts whenever there's a new release, but I didn't-"
"This news is posted on the homepage."
"Main-home? You mean the homepage of Ajax? "
"Yes, so, I brought him to you. He's called Link – and he's a very, very talented player—"
Enzo came back to his senses, and he immediately realized that the young man in front of him must have extraordinary talent to be so valued by Van der Sar.
I personally brought the young players to the training base of the youth team, and the official announcement news was placed on the team's homepage. These actions all show one thing, that is, this Asian teenager must have a very top talent to be treated like this.
Enzo was a little impatient.
But Van der Sar immediately grabbed him.
"You wait first, I still have something to tell you, Lin, you stay here for a while."
With that, Van der Sar walked to the side with Link.
"Lin was born on March 29, 2001, and is only 15 years old this year. When we found him, he played as a left winger, but obviously, he is now 1.75 meters, his body is also very shapely, we have measured the muscle mass, his physical fitness is very good, playing as a center forward is not a problem, you have to adjust the specifics. But there's one thing I want to say—"
Enzo originally sounded very happy, because the forward line of the U18 echelon is weak, and now there is a talented striker who is so valued, of course, it is a very good thing for the U18 echelon.
But—
"He had never been exposed to youth team training in professional football before. So his physicality and a lot of teamwork, he's actually very lacking—"
"How's his ball feel? What about speed? Or I ask, where is his genius so important to make you value a player who hasn't been trained in professional football at the age of 15? "
"His sense of the ball, his speed, I can only say that, the first time I saw his tryout video, I thought I saw Messi playing, that sense of the ball, and the frequency of his feet is unmatched, and his speed and physicality, at his age, is like Messi!"
Enzo squinted at Van der Sar.
"Edwin, are you serious?"
"Of course, but he still has a lot of shortcomings and I hope you can get him up to speed as quickly as he gets used to professional football, which is one of my favourites in years."
With that, Van der Sar patted Enzo on the shoulder, and then walked over to Link.
"Next, I'm going to hand you over to the Under-18 manager, Enzo Caires. Your luggage, our staff has already put it in your dormitory, this is the key to the dormitory, it has the house number on it - and one more thing, tomorrow the club will have someone to take you to the school to report. Lin—"
Van der Sar looked at Link.
"From today, you're officially joining Ajax."
After speaking, he touched Lin Kedi's hair.
The rest of the time is left to Link and Enzo Cyrens.
"Well, Link – at the Under-18s, the average player calls me coach, you can call me that. However, I've never brought Asian players before, so are you Japanese or Korean—"
"I'm Chinese, coach, just call me Lin directly."
"Chinese? I remember a long time ago PSV Eindhoven had a Chinese player in the first team. It seems that we also signed a Chinese in the reserve team two years ago, but it seems that we will go to Portugal a year later. Now The Hague also seems to have a Chinese player. Now we finally have Chinese players. "
Link had been observing Enzo as he spoke, and he noticed that Enzo was still talking quite casually, and he seemed to be a very good person to get along with.
"Okay, I've heard Mr. Ed-van der Sar talk about your situation, but I'm still going to look at some of your specific situations, so there will be some basic actions that you need to do. It's a rest day for the Under-18s, so the players aren't here – that's why I say Edwin van der Sar is really too familiar with us, otherwise you and the players could get acquainted with it today – without saying so much, let's do it first. "
And so—
After 40 minutes.
Enzo shook Link's shoulder with an excited expression.
"Lin! You're a genius! No, no, it's not a genius, it's a super genius! "
(End of chapter)