"Insane Youth Academy Performance—Views Keep Skyrocketing as Fans Share Like Crazy!"
"Former Everton Prospect Shines in His Liverpool Academy Debut!"
"Three Goals Created in 20 Minutes—Leo Lin Delivers a Dimensional Strike in the Youth League!"
Across Europe, the video was still spreading mainly within Liverpool and parts of North London, without fully breaking into the wider scene.
But once the clip spread more broadly overseas, the reaction was explosive.
A well-known international football app immediately pinned the video to the top and highlighted it.
Fans who watched it were thrilled.
"Isn't that Charles Lin's son? How did he end up at Liverpool?"
"So he really is Charles Lin's son. Looks like sending him abroad for youth training back then was absolutely the right call. Staying in Europe is clearly much better for his development."
"I heard Charles Lin married a really beautiful Spanish woman. Does Leo Lin have a chance of playing for Spain's national team?"
"No matter what, choosing to play and develop in Europe is the right path. Staying at a high competitive level like this is the best way for him to grow."
As the video's popularity kept climbing, it finally drew serious attention.
As Liverpool's first-team manager, Klopp naturally couldn't miss it.
That same night, the academy head coach immediately compiled a detailed report on Leo Lin's youth data and match statistics, attaching the video and submitting everything at once.
He knew the first team's biggest weakness right now was the midfield.
Even a young midfielder would help add depth to the bench, especially with so many regular starters sidelined by injury.
If he successfully recommended Leo Lin, not only would he leave a strong impression on the youngster, he'd also earn recognition from the club. And maybe one day, he might even receive personal tactical guidance from Klopp himself—no matter how you looked at it, it was a win.
Klopp really had been worrying about the first team's midfield for a long time.
Henderson would be out for at least three weeks.
Milner was getting on in years, and it was hard for him to give everything on the pitch anymore.
Emre Can was wildly inconsistent—one match a hero, the next a disaster, never knowing when he'd surprise you for better or worse.
As for Naby Keita, the club's expensive signing, he wouldn't be able to join until the next transfer window opened in 2018.
At times, Klopp honestly felt like putting on his boots and going out there himself.
He had seriously thought about it.
If only his playing ability weren't so perfectly opposite to his coaching ability…
...
On the evening of August 11, Klopp was finalizing the starting lineup for Liverpool's first Premier League match of the new season.
The new campaign was just days away.
Liverpool had trained intensely for a month, but their early friendly results were underwhelming. In one match, even with a half-strength lineup, they were beaten 1–0 by a similarly rotated Leicester City side, drawing heavy criticism from fans.
The core problem was clearly in midfield.
Klopp could see it all too well: lack of creativity, insufficient running coverage, almost no shooting threat, and, most critically, a shortage of players who could hold their position and make interceptions.
Transitions between attack and defense were another major issue. Counterattacks lacked bite, the tempo slowed during buildup, and chances were lost as a result.
All of it weighed heavily on Klopp.
And in just a few days, the Premier League would kick off, with Liverpool facing Watford in the opening round—a team notorious for parking the bus.
Fighting relegation, Watford would almost certainly set up a deep, compact defense, aiming at the very least to force a draw at home.
Liverpool had their famous front three—Mané on the left, Salah on the right, and Firmino through the middle.
But to unleash their full power, they needed a midfielder capable of supplying consistent firepower.
The more Klopp thought about it, the more irritated he became. In the end, he decided to clear his head with a cup of coffee.
Just as the coffee finished brewing, an email notification popped up.
The sender was the academy coach.
Klopp hesitated, glancing back and forth between the steaming mug and the blinking inbox.
Finally, he mustered all his resolve and clicked open the email first.
"I hope this is more appealing than the coffee I was about to drink," Klopp muttered, "or I'll make your life difficult."
The email opened.
A handsome face filled the screen, along with detailed match data and analysis from Leo Lin's academy performances.
Below that was a carefully edited video.
Klopp studied the numbers first, then picked up the office phone and called in his most trusted assistant.
"Krawietz, come to my office."
Krawietz was a top-tier tactical analyst, especially skilled at designing targeted game plans.
With decades of experience, he had developed his own distinct tactical philosophy.
By focusing on fine details, he could accurately judge a player's style and overall ability from their performances.
Back when he worked with Klopp at Dortmund, Krawietz had even pulled off something legendary—after analyzing the opponent's key midfielder, he identified his habits and devised a targeted defensive plan, helping Dortmund reach the Champions League final.
Krawietz arrived almost immediately. Klopp's tone was urgent.
As Krawietz reached for the play button, his hand drifted toward the coffee instead.
"Drink later. Watch this first," Klopp stopped him.
Krawietz grumbled softly.
"What kind of video could be more tempting than your free coffee?"
He clicked play.
On screen, Leo Lin powered through Foden and Palmer, then shrugged off a defender and smashed the ball into the net.
"This…"
Krawietz even wondered for a moment whether the footage had been edited.
"Is this video real?"
Klopp nodded.
"It's everywhere online. Just clips of him playing."
Krawietz immediately switched into analysis mode, replaying the footage frame by frame, studying it carefully.
"No issues," he said after half an hour.
"High football IQ. Very rational decision-making."
"What surprises me most is his strength—it's absurd. Is he really that young?"
"Against players the same age from Manchester City, he's completely overpowering them, and it looks effortless."
Krawietz paused, then added,
"There's one more major advantage."
Klopp leaned forward. "What is it?"
Krawietz smiled.
"The kid's good-looking—and he's got personality."
"These days, finding a young player with personality is incredibly rare."
Hearing such praise, Klopp finally made up his mind.
He picked up the phone.
A few seconds later—
"Krawietz."
"Notify the academy. Bring everyone to the first team tomorrow."
"We're holding a full-on academy versus first-team showdown."