Twenty-four was a rather sensitive age.
In Football Manager, players over twenty-four generally found it hard to improve their ability through training and matches. In other words, once a player reached twenty-four, their career path was basically set.
At twenty-four, Pelé already had two World Cup titles. At twenty-four, Maradona was the core star of Barcelona. At twenty-four, Ronaldo was already hailed as the world's top star, the "Alien."
Even Rivaldo, known in Brazil as a late bloomer, was already the star player of Spanish powerhouse Deportivo de La Coruña at twenty-four, later transferring to Barcelona for a record fee.
Yet who would have thought that in Brazil, there were still countless talented twenty-four-year-old stars anxiously waiting for an opportunity?
Juninho was one of them.
Sitting on his balcony and watching the rising sun, his heart was anything but calm.
At twenty-four, he should have been as full of vitality as the morning sun. Yet he worried that he was more like the midday sun, having already reached the peak of his life and now gradually beginning to decline.
Brazil was undoubtedly a gathering place for geniuses, but while players like Ronaldo shone brightly, everyone selectively forgot those who had never been able to showcase their talents.
Juninho considered himself very hardworking. He almost never missed training or extra practice. He was the most diligent player at Vasco da Gama, and he possessed decent footballing talent, as shown by his selection for Brazil's youth national team years ago.
Yet, for some reason, no European team had approached him.
"Is it because I'm not good enough?"
As a key player for the team, Juninho took part in most of Vasco da Gama's matches. He was a starter and the hardest-working player on the pitch, yet he had never achieved much. For instance, in the twenty league matches he had played this year, he had only contributed two goals. In the Rio State Championship, which the fans valued even more, he had failed to score at all.
Among Brazilian players, his technique was not considered outstanding, especially his dribbling, which was a weakness. He did not have much of an advantage in pace either, making it difficult for him to beat opponents with skilful technique and explosive speed like other Brazilian players.
Originally, his awareness of team coordination and his diligence on the pitch were Juninho's playing style, but in Brazilian football, this instead became something people criticized.
When Brazilian fans came to the stadium, what they loved most was that flash of genius where one player single-handedly dribbled past the entire opposing defence, rather than the wall-pass style of play more common among European teams.
Although both methods could produce goals, and although the former carried far greater risks than the latter, picky Brazilian fans still preferred the former, because that was how Pelé, Ronaldo, and Garrincha played.
This was also why Rivaldo was heavily criticized at home, while Denílson, who performed poorly at Betis, was seen by Brazilians as the hope for the revival of Samba football.
In this league system and tactical style that emphasized individual performance, Juninho's performances could only be described as mediocre.
In March this year, he was selected for a friendly match between the Brazilian national team and South Korea, a match used to test reserve players. He came on for a few minutes and did nothing of note. It was his first time being called up to the Brazilian national team, but the domestic media said it might also be his last, as his style was completely incompatible with the Brazilian team.
Sure enough, he was left out of Brazil's squad for the South American Gold Cup.
"Could it be that my life is really destined to be like this?"
Squinting at the morning sun as it cast its golden glow, Juninho asked himself this in his heart.
When he was still living in the slums, he had hoped football would bring a happy life to him and his family. Later, after becoming a professional player, he hoped football would bring him fame. Now, after fighting in the Brazilian domestic league for years and being fortunate enough to be selected for the national team once, he still felt depressed.
He longed to go somewhere where he could prove himself properly.
Europe?
Those European teams always focused only on talented youngsters and big-name stars, like the currently popular Ronaldinho, who was indeed outstanding and was hailed as the future hope of Brazil.
Juninho did not have an agent who knew how to hype him up. His agent was just a good friend of his father, someone who worked at a sports newspaper. Compared to the agents of other stars, who had extensive networks in Europe, his agent seemed very grassroots.
He remembered that when he was selected for the Brazilian national team, a teammate had told him to change agents and head to Europe. There were fewer matches to play each year there, but more money to be made, and he could even bring his family along.
Indeed, a few excellent agents had approached him, wanting to arrange a move to Europe. Juninho was tempted, but he was still hesitating, because he knew that when these agents moved a player to Europe, they could take a huge cut of the transfer fee. He needed to know what his future in Europe would look like before he could agree.
"Ribeiro, time to eat!" his mother shouted from the kitchen.
"I know!" Juninho replied, turning back.
Having become a professional player and been selected for the Brazilian national team, earning £2,000 a week from Vasco da Gama, Juninho's family had left the slums behind and moved into the middle class, living in a residential community.
However, like most clubs in Brazil, Vasco da Gama also fell behind on player wages, often for long periods.
In Ethan's previous life, Juninho took Vasco da Gama to court in January 2001 because of disputes over wages and contracts. This resulted in him not playing a single game for the next six months. Finally, after arbitration, he was allowed to transfer for free to Lyon in Ligue 1.
But now, there was no way he could know all this.
In Brazilian football, there was a saying: if a club could attract players for half a year and pay wages on time, that club would definitely become the team every Brazilian player yearned to join, instantly gaining the strength to win championships.
There was another saying: never believe what Brazilian clubs say, including wage promises and transfer fees, because they often used false and exaggerated reports to hide their terrible financial situation.
"This really is a terrible country!" Juninho thought with a bitter smile.
Just as he walked back into the house from the balcony, the phone near the door suddenly rang.
"Hello, Ribeiro!" the person on the other end said.
"Good morning, Uncle Faou!" Juninho said respectfully. This was his agent, and also a good friend of his father, who worked at a sports newspaper.
"Vasco da Gama just called me with some news. I think you might be interested, Ribeiro!"
"Go ahead, tell me!" Juninho gestured to his mother, who was bringing out the dishes, to wait a moment before eating.
"An English club has come knocking. They want to sign you to play for them."
"Really?" Juninho blurted out, his expression full of surprise and joy. "Is it a Premier League team? What's the name? It couldn't be Middlesbrough, where Juninho Paulista used to play, could it?"
Faou could clearly feel that Juninho had perked up, even managing to crack a joke.
"It's not a Premier League team," Faou said, feeling a little guilty.
"Then is it Division One? Oh, Uncle Faou, that doesn't matter. I long to go to Europe, I really do!"
"Listen to me, Ribeiro. Don't get excited yet. Listen, they offered a transfer fee of £800,000, and Vasco da Gama agreed almost without thinking. But they aren't a Premier League team, nor are they in Division One. They are a team from the English fifth tier, from a league whose damn name I can't even remember."
Juninho's joy instantly froze. Falling from the heights of extreme happiness, the drop left his head in a daze.
"What... what's the name?"
"New Manchester United. A team formed by Manchester United fans. Founded a year ago, they were playing in the bottom tenth tier of English football last year. They won the double and were promoted to the fifth tier. I heard they're planning to do something big this year, so they came to Brazil."
"Reject them, Uncle Faou!" Juninho said almost without thinking.
"But, Ribeiro, Vasco da Gama has already agreed to their demands."
"That's what those damn bastards agreed to! They haven't been able to pay wages for months, so they want to sell me for £800,000, then boast and turn it into £3 million or even £5 million to attract more players to join and win that damn championship for them!" Juninho roared angrily.
He felt betrayed, like a piece of merchandise, with no say in who he was sold to.
"Calm down, Ribeiro. I heard from the club that New Manchester United has offered you a weekly wage of £4,000. Plus, if the team gets promoted, your salary can increase. There are also goal bonuses, appearance fees, and so on. All in all, it's at least double what you would make in Brazil."
"But that's the English fifth tier, Uncle Faou. A league whose name I can't even remember. Is there any future in joining a team like that?"
There was one more thing Juninho clearly did not say: "I was once a Brazilian international!"
Even if it was just Brazil's third team.
"Do you want to hear the truth?" Faou asked calmly from the other end.
"Of course!" Juninho replied.
"I think you should consider it. If you want to leave Brazil, this is an opportunity. The other party is very sincere, and the contract they offered is good. Moreover, it's said that the club owner even came to Brazil in person. You should give him a chance. And once you're in England, if you perform well, you might be noticed by higher-level teams. New Manchester United is located in Manchester. You know, there are several Premier League teams nearby."
Juninho was suddenly speechless. If he stayed in Brazil, it would be very hard for him to make a name for himself. Even changing agents would not guarantee that he could go to Europe immediately.
Ethan had the ability to foresee the future, but Juninho did not. Naturally, he would not know that he would be scouted by French powerhouse Lyon and achieve fame and success after going to France.
"Ribeiro, think it over carefully and then call me back!"
With that, Faou hung up, leaving Juninho standing there dazed beside the telephone.
(To be continued.)