From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

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"The score has been overturned! Sheffield United has turned the tide and taken the lead! It's a goal from Gilbert!

"Another assist from Maël! He has completed an impressive brace of assists in his debut match! His sharp breakthrough and crossing ability make one wonder why he only got the nod from manager Kevin today?

"Let's get to know these two Arsenal loan players better. After today, the English football scene will have two more young talents!"

The Sky Sports commentator gave the two players high praise, a trait shared by many football enthusiasts who cherish and admire talent.

No one dislikes young and promising players, and no one dislikes discovering young talents.

People are more than happy to follow these talented youths, to grow with them and experience the joy of nurturing.

At the corner flag area, the celebrating Sheffield United team quickly gathered, surrounding the two goal heroes.

"You two kids, you actually pulled off this goal!"

Striker Evans shook his head, smiling in disbelief, "Who would believe this is your debut? If you didn't know, you'd think you're the mainstays of Sheffield United!"

"Being a debutant and a mainstay aren't mutually exclusive."

Janu Hans, who had joined them, spread his palms and excitedly high-fived the two, "Who said a debutant can't turn the tide?"

Another midfielder, Quinn, felt a bit embarrassed and self-deprecatingly said, "We old guys need to step up our game, or all the limelight will be stolen by these two young talents."

Maël and Gilbert were surrounded by praise and flattery, both smiling, feeling like they were the center of the world.

This wasn't just youthful arrogance; the heroic glory brought by scoring a goal is unique.

Football isn't just about goals; the tactical battles and physical confrontations between high-level teams and players are also highly entertaining and engaging.

But no one can deny that the final result—goals—are the best way to ignite passion! 

"Keep it up! Keep it up!"

In the South Stand, Sheffield United fans were waving their hands, their emotions reaching a peak.

They were shouting Maël and Gilbert's names, cheering for the team.

"We want more goals! We want to secure our first win of the season!"

"Kids, keep it up, defend the 'Blades' honor!"

"The future of these two guys won't just be in the Championship League, I'm telling you!"

"Maël is impressive, and Gilbert seems to have his own strengths and characteristics. They both have a lot of flair!"

"Their value will skyrocket after today!"

"..."

They had traveled a long distance to this away game, their greatest hope being a thrilling victory for the team.

For this, they were willing to give everything they could—time, energy, passion, encouragement, and more.

Now, seeing the team finally have a chance to secure their first win of the season, how could they not be excited?

After this goal, the game resumed.

At the 68th minute, Maël began to feel exhausted, his body nearing its limit.

"Beep!"

The coaching staff quickly noticed this and, two minutes later, replaced Maël with the team's original starting winger, Mark Yates.

This 27-year-old winger was in his prime, and his position in the team was once unshakable.

If Maël's performance today was detrimental to anyone in the Sheffield United squad, it would be Mark Yates.

He was one of the few who didn't join in the celebrations after the two goals.

"Keep it up."

Maël felt at ease as he came off the field, encouraging Mark Yates.

He wasn't afraid of competition; in fact, he even enjoyed it. Humans are peculiar creatures; too much comfort can rob them of the drive to improve.

"Yeah."

Mark Yates nodded in response, his expression not too good as he touched the grass and ran onto the field.

Maël walked off the field and soon noticed someone handing him a sports drink and a dry towel. He thanked them and took it, turning to see it was Mr. Gary Speed.

It was rare for the first assistant coach to do such menial tasks, and the reason for him doing so could only be one—admiration!

"Many players' training performances don't translate well to the pitch."

Gary Speed initiated the conversation, not hiding his fondness and high regard for Maël, "But not you. You're very composed and don't let the environment affect you.

"You perform in the match just as you do in training, which is rare and valuable, especially in a young player.

"The coaching staff underestimated you, as did others, and perhaps even you yourself didn't realize it.

"The abilities you possess now are enough to compete for a starting left winger position in any Championship team!"

He smiled and extended his right hand, preparing to high-five, "Maël, well done! I'm very glad I trusted Johansson back then, or I would have suffered a great loss!"

"Thank you."

Maël laughed heartily, grateful for the praise, and high-fived him.

He glanced at the team's manager, Kevin, who didn't seem to be coming over, as if he didn't care?

Could it be... his appearance was at Gary Speed's suggestion.

"Johansson told me your biggest strength is long-range shooting."

Gary Speed, who usually wasn't much of a talker, couldn't help but be a bit more talkative with a young talent like Maël, "But today, you used abilities not mentioned in his report to help the team.

"Does that mean you still have some potential to unlock?"

"Of course."

Maël raised an eyebrow, joking, "I will eventually be all-around."

He picked up the towel to wipe his sweat, took a few sips of water, and then sat back on the bench with Gary Speed to rest.

"Oh!" Just as he sat down, the South Stand erupted in cheers again.

Team midfielder Janu Hans, from the edge of the penalty area, unleashed a low, powerful shot that found the back of Cardiff City's net!

3-1!

The game was sealed!

The Sheffield United players, in their red and white striped jerseys, sprinted at full speed to the left corner flag area to celebrate, passing by several stunned Cardiff City players, celebrating both the goal and the victory.

"Great job!"

Gary Speed stood up, clapping, the team's first three points of the season secured.

"Really cool."

Maël sighed in admiration beside him, then added, "If I get the chance in the next game, I'll definitely start with a long-range shot."

"I believe in you."

Gary Speed patted his shoulder, joking, "Before becoming all-around, try to feel how good it is to score a goal."

"I will."

Maël shrugged, sat back down, and began calculating his gains from the match.

Match experience and exposure aside, the two assists had earned him a £3,000 post-tax bonus.

"Add the appearance and the three points, and it's £6,000, equivalent to four weeks of post-tax salary."

Maël swallowed, no wonder the Qin Soldiers were eager to conquer and earn war merit; the allure of merit pay was indeed greater than a fixed salary.

Having experienced poverty, he was not someone insensitive to wealth. On the contrary, he believed wealth was the greatest source of security and freedom, and a reflection of one's value in various aspects.

"I need to play more games and rack up more stats."

His eyes burned with passion; from any angle, he needed to strive for more.

"Beep! Beep! Beep—!!" At that moment, the referee's three long whistles signaled the end of the match.

Maël snapped back to reality, quickly ran out of the bench, and rushed onto the field with his hands raised high, heading towards Gilbert's position.

"Sheffield United! Sheffield United!!"

Amid the excited shouts of the fans, the two high-fived and began running along the fan stands, savoring this unforgettable moment.

Debut, first win, first stat!

They couldn't think of anything more beautiful than this.