Inside a hospital in Liverpool, George Lee arrived to find Alan Smith already in the final stages of his check-up.

George Lee hurried to inquire about the team doctor who had accompanied Smith before.

When I learned that there was really nothing serious, I was relieved.

In a previous life, also this season, Smith, who had already transferred to Manchester United at the time, in a game against Liverpool, in order to block Reese's shot, stretched out a kick to try to intercept but let the ball hit his supporting leg, resulting in a serious fracture of his left calf and a dislocation of his ankle. The scene was extremely tragic, Smith fell to the ground in pain and was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital for treatment after the team doctor gave emergency first aid.

Smith missed the 2006 World Cup and spent seven months recuperating after surgery with 10 steel nails in his ankle. After recovering from injury, Smith not only lost his competitive form, but also lost his place at Manchester United, both in the front and in midfield, and finally had to move to Newcastle two years later.

'I know it's hard for me to keep playing after that injury. It might be easier to get off the pitch because you'll remember you were a Manchester United player, but I don't want to do that because I love to play. With this love, I got through those painful years. ”

"I'm still training day in and day out, but I can't try anything that I used to be able to do, and I can't get back to my previous form."

"My left ankle has been stiff and sometimes it is difficult to even walk normally. I wanted to try to run a few kilometers this summer, but I had to stop and walk instead because I felt pain in my ankle. I went to see the surgeon last month and he warned me not to do straight running anymore. ”

'It's always a difficult choice to leave the pitch, but retiring early was a normal decision and I didn't want to worry my family and I don't regret it.

Alan Smith then retired in disgrace.

So when George Lee learned that Smith didn't hurt his leg, he was a little relieved, but he was still worried about whether it would hurt somewhere else.

"Boss, can I be discharged from the hospital?"

After George Lee thanked the doctor who had examined him, Smith, who was lying on the hospital bed, said to George Lee.

"Heh~, Alain, are you really brave, don't you want your life?"

"Boss, I didn't think about anything at the time, I just wanted to block this goal, after all, we were behind at the time, and we couldn't concede any more goals."

"And then?"

"After being kicked, my first feeling was pain, then it was like I was unconscious and I fainted, and then I woke up and found that I was about to fall apart."

"Do you regret it, Alain, do you regret going to block that?"

"No!"

Smith spoke without thinking, and then continued.

"If I had to do it again, I'd still jump up and block it."

George Lee looked at the young Leeds United vice-captain and didn't speak.

At the end of the 03/04 season, Leeds United was able to survive relegation, many key players left the team, and many teams threw olive branches to Smith, but Smith rejected them. With the future of the team uncertain, Smith resolutely chose to stay in the team, still wearing a white shirt.

There are no rhetoric, there are just actions and hard work, whether it is playing as a single striker or transforming into a midfielder, Smith never complains, as long as he plays, he will fight everything.

George Lee thought that after any player on the team was violated by a teammate, Smith would always be the first to run up to support, leading Leeds United's "Villain Gang" to besiege opposing players and find referees to theorize.

George Lee remembered that while Smith wore the captain's armband, he wouldn't be loud critics for his teammates' mistakes. But he will always silently fill in the gaps for his teammates, and George Lee has found many times this season, after Bynes was attacked along the way, Smith deliberately leaned to the left when defending. These are all things that Bynes himself did not discover, and Bynes would only ask Smith after the game where he was going to go tonight.

George Lee thought that when the team's offense was in trouble, it was Smith and Van Persie who stood up and used forward insertion and confrontation to fight the opposing defenders, so as to break the deadlock on the field.

George Lee thought of the team's counterattack by the opponent, because Graveson couldn't keep up with the speed, and many times Smith chased all the way back from the front court and used fouls to stop the opponent's offense. That's why Smith now has six yellow cards in the 11 rounds.

George Lee remembered that when Lee asked Van Persie if he would leave, Smith rushed to answer that he would never leave in the small bar of the hotel when he checked into the Dutch training camp.

After thinking about this, George Lee looked at Smith in the hospital bed again.

The Elland Road fighter was ready to get up after a long time without the head coach talking.

"Wait a minute, lie down." George Lee said to Smith in a commanding tone.

"Boss, I'm really fine."

"I'll stay with you in Liverpool for one night and come back to Leeds tomorrow morning after checking again and having no problems."

"No need to ......"

"If you don't agree, I won't let you play in my next game against Blackburn."

"Boss, we're going to play West Bromwich Albion next."

"Don't think about the next league game, in the next game against Blackburn in the League Cup, let you not come back and watch me......"

"Boss...... I said I'm fine. Smith interrupted him.

'I'm serious too, the League Cup game, I have something important to announce.

"What's the matter?"

'In the Carabao Cup, I wanted you to start with Gary, but Gary and I both wanted you to wear the captain's armband.

"What! Gary...... I...... Captain? ”

This was the previous stage of the team's captain Gary Kelly took the initiative to talk to George Lee, the 31-year-old Kelly is no longer young, but this age is not too old. However, a long-term injury has left Kelly out for a lot of Leeds United games, so now the team's right-back has always been Mills starting, and then Milner or Anton Ferdinand has come off the bench, and Kelly has been very far behind.

However, the Leeds United right-back did not want to leave, but after listening to George Lee's advice, he was preparing to obtain a football coaching certificate, and later work as a football coach, or maybe enter his native Irish Football Association in the future.

George Lee also needed this humorous locker room "glue" to help him stabilize the locker room.

Later, Kelly, who felt that he had fewer and fewer opportunities to play, directly asked George Lee to hand over the captaincy to Smith, after all, Smith's status in the team is also obvious to all.

"Gary wants you to officially succeed him as captain."

"I ...... Will it work? ”

"He and I both think you can, Alain."

"Okay."

Smith didn't shirk much, and directly shouldered the burden of the captain.

"Rest early, I'll come back tomorrow to check with you, and then I'll go back to Leeds."

George Lee finished speaking and was about to turn around and leave, but was stopped by Smith.

"Boss ......"

"What's wrong?"

"Need a new captain to get a cool new hairstyle?"

Smith stroked a handful of blonde hair.