Super Wingstorm

Yang Yang’s return was a big deal at De Toekomst.

He arrived at the training complex earlier than usual, heading first to the medical room for a physical.

This was a routine procedure before rejoining the team, mainly to assess Yang Yang’s physical condition and check for any injuries.

Having just finished the Asian Cup, Yang Yang was in good physical shape. When questioned by the team doctor, he answered every question completely and honestly.

The results of the examination, including various data points like his body fat percentage, indicated that Yang Yang was in excellent physical condition with no hidden risk of injury. This made everyone in the medical room breathe a sigh of relief.

They were all well aware of Yang Yang’s importance for the upcoming season.

For a young player, the most fearsome enemy isn’t on the pitch—it’s injury.

"It looks like you’ve been training consistently this whole time." The head of the medical department was very satisfied with Yang Yang’s condition and promptly signed his name on the report.

The report would be sent immediately to the first-team coaching office.

Yang Yang gave a simple but detailed overview of his training regimen. He also mentioned his state of heightened performance during the Asian Cup, expressing his main concern was how to maintain that peak form.

But the medical director shook his head. "That’s impossible. No player can maintain their peak form for an extended period."

"Every player’s form fluctuates. There are highs and lows. Sometimes it’s due to personal issues, sometimes it’s due to the team’s tactical adjustments, and sometimes it’s due to the opponent’s targeted strategies. There are all sorts of reasons. It’s impossible to be at your best for every single match, every single season. If you could, wouldn’t that make you a superman?"

Yang Yang understood this perspective; he knew it was true.

"The most important thing for you right now is to understand and master your body’s condition and rhythms. Through hard training, a regular schedule, and a scientific diet, you need to work on stabilizing your form at a ’good’ level and maintaining consistent performance throughout the season."

After speaking, the medical director chuckled and patted Yang Yang on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t worry, you’re only seventeen. This is not only a crucial stage for your physical development but also a key period for improving your skills. Our medical team will create a customized plan for you to help you perform better and grow."

Yang Yang nodded. In this regard, he trusted Ajax’s professionalism.

During his time in Beijing, Yang Yang had specifically asked Su Ye to take him to buy some exquisite, practical gifts with distinct Chinese characteristics. They weren’t very expensive, but it was the thought that counted.

Not only did everyone in the medical room get one, but when he went to the coaching office, every coach received one as well. Even the staff at De Toekomst got a gift. This made everyone grin from ear to ear whenever they saw Yang Yang.

...

...

After returning to the locker room and changing into his jersey, Yang Yang went out to the training pitch, where many players had already gathered.

"Hey, Yang, great to see you."

"Awesome, welcome back."

"I watched the live broadcast of your Asian Cup final. It was brilliant."

"Way to go, man. I knew you could do it."

...

In the previous season, Yang Yang had been very low-key within the team. He was the youngest player, but also the most hardworking. He performed very well every time he played, and although he didn’t score many goals himself, he often created opportunities for his teammates.

A player like that would be popular on any team.

Moreover, with Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic having left, everyone knew that the team would now begin to invest heavily in developing Yang Yang and Sneijder. For many, it was necessary to get on good terms with Yang Yang sooner rather than later.

In the past few seasons, the Ajax captaincy had passed from Qi Wu to Litmanen to Van der Vaart, with Galasek and Escude serving as on-field captains for a time. But now, all of those players had left the team.

For the new season, the captain’s armband was given to the veteran Galasek. The Czech midfielder now arrived at the complex early every day, shouldering the captain’s responsibility of leading his teammates in warm-ups and training.

Since Yang Yang had just returned, Galasek took the initiative to introduce him to the new teammates.

Angelos Charisteas stood 1.91 meters tall, with a sturdy build. He had a classical look, like a figure from Ancient Greek mythology, but on the football pitch, he was an out-and-out tank of a center-forward.

Yang Yang knew a bit about him. He had never been a prolific scorer in his career. Even when he was a starter for Werder Bremen, his record of nine goals in thirty-one matches was nothing to write home about. Because of this, he had been benched for the season leading up to the European Cup. Unexpectedly, he shone brightly at the tournament, scoring the decisive winning goal in the final.

In a way, Charisteas was a bit like Yang Yang.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Angelos. I watched your European Cup final. It was incredible. I’m looking forward to playing with you."

"Thanks. I watched your Champions League final, too. It was just as surprising to me."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries but didn’t get into a deep conversation.

The age gap between them was significant, so it was a bit unrealistic to expect them to become good friends right after meeting.

For the two of them, being able to create some sparks on the pitch would be an achievement in itself.

Next, Yang Yang saw Douglas Maicon and Filipe Luís, two Brazilian players. They were with Maxwell, who had clearly already told them all about Yang Yang. With Maxwell acting as a go-between, they quickly struck up a conversation.

Maxwell said his wife had been wanting to meet Yang Yang for a while and was preparing dinner at their home tonight. He insisted Yang Yang must come, and that he was also inviting Maicon, Filipe Luís, Vermaelen, and others for a get-together.

"Great, I’ll definitely be there," Yang Yang readily agreed.

But he decided, ’After training this afternoon, I have to get Vermaelen to take me to buy some gifts.’ He hadn’t known Maxwell’s wife and son were in Amsterdam, so he hadn’t prepared anything for them.

Seeing Ron Vlaar again, Yang Yang couldn’t help but recall his experiences from a year ago, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

But in comparison, Vlaar was even more moved than Yang Yang. The two previous times he had seen Yang Yang, he had been either a youth player for Almere or a second-team player for Ajax.

He never expected that this time they met, Yang Yang would already be one of the team’s star players. His progress had been incredibly fast.

What surprised Vlaar even more was that Yang Yang was younger than him.

Interestingly, Vlaar also rented a house in Oude Kerk, though he was just across the street from Yang Yang.

"I’ll come find you when I have a chance," Yang Yang said with a smile.

"Sure, you’re welcome anytime."

In addition to the newly signed players, the team also promoted quite a few players from the second team this summer.

Ryan Babel, Tom Demuure, Emmanuelson, and Maduro were all officially promoted to the first team this summer. However, if they didn’t make the first-team matchday squad, they would play for the second team to maintain their form.

There was also Lindegren, whom Yang Yang had met at the Toulon Cup. He had also been promoted to the first team, for the very first time.

Back at De Toekomst, Yang Yang felt as if he had returned to his home turf. He constantly chatted with one person and then another, and most people were very polite to him.

"Hey, Yang, come over and have a go."

In the distance, Heitinga waved at Yang Yang and shouted loudly.

"Oh, come on, are you picking on me because I just got back?" Yang Yang ran over, eager for the challenge.

Everyone laughed and crowded around to watch.

It was a warm-up game they played at Ajax. Markers were placed densely within a confined space, and players had to dribble through them quickly. Whoever finished in the shortest time won.

It might sound simple, but it actually demanded a high level of dribbling skill. The markers were arranged in an irregular pattern, forcing players to constantly change direction and turn. Turning it into a competition made it even more difficult.

This was also one of Yang Yang’s favorite drills, as [Ronaldo’s Charge] included techniques like continuous directional changes and ball-pulling, making this game the perfect practice for it.

"While you were gone, Pinaar got the best time. Want to challenge him?" Heitinga said provocatively.

Yang Yang shot a challenging look at Pinaar. How could he possibly refuse?

"Let me warm up and get a feel for it first."

"Of course, no problem," Heitinga readily agreed. He then turned to the surrounding teammates. "Everyone watch closely! Anyone who wants to take down Yang Yang can come down and challenge him anytime. If you beat him, a starting spot for the new season is yours!"

The crowd of players erupted in laughter.

The team had played this game last season, and Yang Yang had always been one of the best. Only a few players like Van der Vaart, Pinaar, and Sneijder could contend with him. As for Ibrahimovic, he was no match at all—he was too tall and lacked the necessary agility.

Everyone there knew each other, so Yang Yang didn’t take Heitinga’s joke seriously. After juggling the ball a couple of times, he quickly started, bursting into the drill area. He dribbled with his left foot, constantly dodging left and right, sometimes stopping suddenly or slowing down, other times changing direction and turning, but the ball never left his left foot.

When Yang Yang dribbled out of the drill area, a coach on the sidelines immediately clicked a stopwatch and nodded repeatedly. "Hmm, there’s improvement. It looks like you really kept up with your training over the break."

In the crowd, a tall player watched with a look of defiance and asked Lindegren, who was standing beside him.

"That’s considered an improvement? How bad must he have been before?"

Lindegren didn’t even have to look to know who was talking. A slight smile touched his lips. "Why don’t you go and have a go against him?"

"I could beat him with one eye closed," the tall player scoffed.

"Didn’t you say you were going to take him down? Now’s your chance. Get out there and give it a try," Lindegren urged.

Just then, Heitinga asked if Yang Yang was warmed up. After getting an affirmative reply, he turned back to the crowd. "Anyone want to take down Yang Yang? It’s a rare opportunity, so step up!"

But not a single person stepped out from the crowd.

At that very moment, the tall player suddenly pushed through the crowd and shouted in a clear voice, "I’ll give it a try."

The moment everyone saw who it was, they started hooting and cheering.

"Excellent! A challenger finally steps up!" Heitinga was even more excited.

Yang Yang saw that the player was about his own age. He looked young and unfamiliar, but his frame was imposing. Yang could tell at a glance that he was from Northern Europe, and he had a pretty good idea of who it was.

’If I’m not mistaken,’ he thought, ’this must be the Danish center-forward, Niklas Bendtner—the one who boasted he was going to take me down after joining the team.’