Chapter 48: Old? Not old!

On the first day of the summer continuing before the 2028-2029 season, Shaq was in a bad mood because he learned two news he didn't like to hear.

The first news was announced by Leeds captain Jonny Hausen, who has gradually become a substitute in the past two seasons but has always served as the team captain.

Jonny Hausen arrived at the team's locker room early. After everyone came, he solemnly announced in front of a group of teammates: "Everyone... brothers, I have made a decision. When this season is over, I will choose to retire!"

ah!?

A group of players in the locker room who had just finished their vacation and returned to the team with a happy mood were all stunned and looked at Captain Leeds in a daze. They couldn't believe this fact at all.

Captain Leeds = Jonny Hausen!

This is already a phenomenal existence for Leeds United. Although Jonny Hausen is only 37 years old, he has been in Leeds... for twenty-four years!

Twenty-four years!

At the age of 13, Jonny Hausen joined the youth team of Leeds United, and then when he was sixteen, he had the experience of playing professional games on behalf of the team, although the "Youth Guards" had been relegated to the third-tier England...English League One!

In the 2008-2009 season, the 18-year-old Jonny Hausen became the captain of Leeds United, and it has been nineteen years since then!

Nineteen years... After this season, it will be twenty years!

A person who is captaining the team for about twenty years. He said he was going to retire... It is really not surprising, but Leeds United players just don't want to hear this news.

"Brothers. Over the years, I have experienced ups and downs with the team. We have won countless honors and have been wandering in underestimation and confusion. But today... We Leeds have become the best team in the world! I feel very, very... Well, this is my last season. I hope everyone can work hard together and we will win a few more championships! Thank you everyone! Please!"

Jonny Hausen bent down and bowed to everyone. Then he nodded to everyone, pushed open the door of the locker room and walked out. No one saw the moisture in his eyes...

Captain Leeds' departure made the Leeds players in the locker room look at each other, but soon a voice sounded: "Brothers, I...well, I have something to announce, too."

kindness!?

Everyone turned their heads and saw the helpless smile on their faces... Ben Parker!

No!?

Everyone showed surprise and suspicion in their eyes. What are they going to do!?

Can Ben Parker also...retire the service!?

As expected, Ben Parker smiled bitterly with regret: "Brothers, I have made the same decision as the captain. After this season, I will retire! So... In fact, there is no need to regret it. We are all old, and the future belongs to your young people. It is our luck for Jonny and me to retire! Okay. Guys, this season depends on you. Give us two old guys a few more championships, hahaha, it's better to be the seven-champion! Okay, I'll go see the captain. Actually, you don't know that he is very fragile inside!"

Ben Parker made a joke and then walked out of the locker room...

Unlike Jonny Hausen, everyone had already expected Ben Parker, who was 36 years old, to retire.

In the past two seasons, Ben Parker's appearance rate has been very low. The requirements for the left-back position are much higher than those of the midfield. Jonny Hausen can rely on experience and consciousness to play a role in the midfield, but Ben Parker, as a left-back, cannot do it. He needs to rush forward, retreat quickly, and constantly fight against opponents' offensive players, and... he can't make mistakes!

Because the tactical requirements for full-back players are too high, Ben Parker is no longer the team's main player after he was 34 years old. The former world's number one left-back has long entered the end of his career.

Just like Maldini, even with his excellence, he still had to play central defender at the end of his career to continue his football life. Ben Parker did not choose to start over with hard work, and he did not have such a chance. After all, Leeds United's central defender position includes Du Xiaoguang, Drapper, Richardson and others, as well as young Belgian central defender Alan Marques. The "Youth Guards" are a world football giant with the goal of winning all competition championships. It is impossible for AC Milan to choose to "get over" in order to save like AC Milan back then.

Now both of the "Three Musketeers of Leeds" have chosen to retire, which makes Shaq, who was originally lying to himself from time to time, feel a lot of pressure. These two old brothers who are only two years older than him and one year older are about to retire. Will the days of retirement be far away?

Shaq himself knew the answer to this question... Maybe it was really not far away!

This summer, the "Three Lions" failed in the European Cup. After qualifying for three games in the group stage, they encountered the French team in the first round of the knockout round. Although Shaq scored a goal in that game, he failed to reverse England's loss to France with a score of 1:3.

Moreover, due to adjustments to his physical fitness, Shaq actually only played three games in England's four games, but he only scored 2 goals, which is far from his efficiency in scoring 318 goals for England in 205 games.

Everything is enough to prove that Shaq... is quickly heading towards the end of his career!

But……

Not willing to give up!

I'm really unwilling to give up!

Shaq gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his heart full of unwillingness. He really hadn't enjoyed enough of the happiness that football brought to him. He also gave up a lot of things and paid a price that others could not imagine to continue his football life, but...

well!

After sighing in his heart, Shaq made up his mind: Since it can't be stopped... then it will explode completely! This season... I will lead the team to sweep all opponents again!

all!

At this moment, Shaq finally made a decision, no matter what the future will be. He has been silent for two years and has entered the end of his career in the eyes of others. This season is about to explode. He has been saving the simulated points he has saved before, and he will definitely be able to use them for another two seasons. Then use these two seasons to restore himself to his peak moments and let those opponents who were originally ready to move. Always treat themselves as their nightmare!

During the entire pre-season training, Shaq seemed very silent, but he performed even more crazily in training. Even in the confrontation, Du Xiaoguang sat down on the ground because he was frightened by Shaq.

Shaq, who always exudes cold murderous aura, coupled with the depression brought by Captain Leeds and Ben Parker's upcoming retirement after the end of the season, has put the "Youth Guards" in a gloomy atmosphere. Even head coach Simon Grayson could not change all this, and could only watch the whole team work hard under this nervous depression.

During the meeting, the Leeds United coaching staff were worried about the team's current tense atmosphere, fearing that the string would be too tight and would eventually break!

Shaq, who has been no longer a team's vane in the past two seasons, suddenly has fighting spirit again this season. This is of course a good thing for the "Young Guards", but everyone seems to be too nervous. In this case, there will only be two results. One is that Leeds United explodes strongly and crushes all opponents who dare to hinder them. The other is that they will destroy themselves.

In the training match before the new season, Simon Grayson had to use rotation as soon as he came up. Shaq only played two forty-five minutes in three games, but Shaq performed a "scoring twice" twice. The efficiency of four goals in ninety minutes seemed to indicate that Shaq had signs of spring coming.

Like every season in the past, Wembley Stadium ushered in the Community Shield Cup on August 6, which also means that the flames of English football have been officially ignited in this new season.

Leeds United faces an opponent this year, "Blue Army" Chelsea. Last season, Laudrup led the team to only win the runner-up. He chose to resign after the three-year contract expired. His successor is Croatia head coach Slawin Bilichi.

Bilici has no outstanding coaching results, but he is a head coach who advocates offense. When he coached the La Liga team Valencia, he tasted failure because he attached too much importance to offense. Now he was selected by the 62-year-old Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich. In fact, it was because the Russians' interest in football has dropped sharply. Otherwise, with the Russian personality, a famous coach must be hired.

Although the "Blue Army" won the league runner-up last season, the final score gap between them and the "Young Guards" was actually amazing, reaching as much as 27 points!

Now a head coach who has never succeeded, plus a team that is not as good as the opponent, how can the "Blue Army" compete with the "Young Guards"?

What's more, Shaq this season is really too murderous, and the magical "Black Feet" system has also re-given Shaq's state at his peak!

Just 7 minutes into the start of the game at Wembley Stadium, Shaq took advantage of the opportunity to free the set piece and assisted Belgian central defender Marquez to head the ball to score.

Then Shaq scored goals in 19 minutes, 22 minutes and 43 minutes, completing a hat-trick in the first half. Lons also scored with Hoydenk's pass, but Leeds United broke through the opponent 5-0 in the first half.

Just 7 minutes into the second half, Shaq scored his fourth goal in the game, and this goal was also a fantasy goal!

At that time, Shaq received a cross from Lens on the left in front of the small penalty area on the left, and dribbled the ball into Chelsea's small penalty area on the left. Facing the German national goal Stefan, Shaq swung his left leg and made a shooting move. Just as the opponent fell to the ground and rushed to the ground, Shaq brought the ball back with his left foot!

At the same time, Shaq's body seemed to be a breeze, using the explosive power of his right leg to change forward to retreat, and pushing his body back!

In an instant, Shaq docked a meter away to the left, but Stefan was already knocked to the ground!

Then… “Bang!”

Shaq quickly picked up his left foot, and the ball flew into Chelsea's goal with a "whizz"!

Afterwards, although Chelsea took advantage of Shaq's substitution and Leeds United's offensive strength to weaken, Colombia's midfielder Rios, Dutch striker Bass Van der Haider, Spanish left winger Angel Gonzalez Bora chased three goals in a row, but Drapper took advantage of the corner kick opportunity to score in the 83rd minute, locking the score at 7:3!
Chapter completed!