After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

During the training camp, the sun blazed down on the grass at the St. George's Park training ground, making the grass scorching hot.

The England national team players were divided into several groups and engaged in high-intensity scrimmage training under the whistles and shouts of the assistant coaches.

Sweat soaked their jerseys, their shoes kicked up grass clippings, and the air was filled with the smells of dirt, sweat, and competition.

The subtle tension that lingered around Yan Yuan on the day he reported for duty did not dissipate.

On the contrary, it emerges more clearly in the training environment.

Yan Yuan understood perfectly: his face, his lineage, his less-than-pure background, and that brand-new Arsenal jersey were like a special magnet in this locker room, attracting all sorts of gazes.

There were skeptical eyes, curious eyes, and hesitant eyes.

He suddenly remembered a word his father often used.

It's the phrase "Hidden dragon, do not act" from the Book of Changes.

This phrase means: When you go to a new environment, don't rush to stand out and show off. First, you need to understand the surrounding environment and your own situation.

Yan Yuan wanted to calm down and figure out just how deep the water was in the England dressing room, and where the hidden reefs were.

Head coach Gareth Southgate stood on the sidelines in his training gear, intently observing the results of each group's scrimmage.

He had clearly noticed Yan Yuan's situation as a newcomer and intended to help him integrate more quickly.

"Next group," Southgate picked up the training roster and looked at it, "Group A: Lingard, Dale, Kyle Walker... plus Yan Yuan!" He raised his voice and gestured towards Yan Yuan.

Kyle Walker nodded to Yan Yuan first.

As a key defender for Manchester City, he vividly remembers the two legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Hoffenheim last season.

Yan Yuan's speed and impact in those two rounds gave him a hard time, and he knew that this kid was really good, not just a name without substance.

Walker's expression carried the direct recognition that comes from hard-fought battles on the court.

Lingard grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and casually waved to Yan Yuan:

"Hey bro, come over here!"

Lin Huang has a naturally outgoing demeanor and expressive personality. Although his technical skills fluctuate from time to time, he is a relatively easy person to get along with off the court.

Only Dell.

When Dale heard Southgate call out Yan Yuan's name, he merely glanced at him indifferently, his face expressionless, as if he were looking at an insignificant background figure.

He then turned around, walked to his defensive midfield position, and started adjusting the shin guards on his ankles.

The group competition begins.

The training rule is to pass the ball with one foot, quickly find an opening, and advance.

When Walker and Lingard have the ball, they will almost always try to pass it to Yan Yuan if they see him running into open space.

Lingard, in particular, likes this style of play that allows for quick ball distribution and provides support, and he doesn't care about his teammates' status.

Yan Yuan received the ball, handled it, and then passed it out; his movements were concise and effective.

However, once the ball reached Dier's feet, the scene became extremely awkward.

Yan Yuan made several astute forward runs or retreats, creating space and preparing to receive the ball.

But Dell acted as if he didn't see him.

He would choose to pass to Walker, who is further away, even if the route is longer and the angle is more difficult.

Or they could simply pass the ball back with a long kick, completely ignoring Yan Yuan's presence;

On two separate occasions, he hesitated for a fraction of a second and was distracted by the opposing coaching staff who were simulating pressing, causing him to "hastily" kick the ball out of bounds.

Once or twice is not a big problem, but three or four times...

Yan Yuan's calm expression was gradually replaced by a cold, focused intensity.

[It's a password, I didn't come to the national team to be invisible.]

Dell's behavior not only disrupted the quality of training but also revealed an undisguised rejection.

This isn't a technical issue; it's purely an attitude issue.

When Dier once again deliberately chose to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Pickford with difficulty, instead of passing it smoothly to him and creating an immediate attack, Yan Yuan stopped.

Yan Yuan didn't rush towards Dale to question him at all; instead, he ran directly to Southgate on the sidelines.

Southgate was talking to his assistant.

"Mr. Gareth." Yan Yuan's voice was clear and steady, with slightly rapid breathing after training, but no obvious anger could be heard.

Southgate turned around and asked:

"What's wrong, Yan? Is the training intensity keeping up?"

"The strength is excellent, no problem." Yan Yuan's tone was normal, but his words went straight to the heart of the matter.

"However, coach, our Group A's passing flow... might be encountering a slight obstacle." He deliberately avoided mentioning "Dale's" name.

"It's always difficult to get the ball to the attacking players in the right time and when they need it." He pointed to the field, "That fast break opportunity just now was completely delayed because of the wrong choice of passing point. This really affects the overall effectiveness of the drill."

Yan Yuan pointed it out in a purely tactical analytical tone, emphasizing "positional delays" and "impact on drills," without blaming any specific person, but the implication was very clear.

This is a high-EQ way of complaining.

Yan Yuan only mentioned the problems and the responsible parties, without discussing personal grudges.

Southgate, being so experienced, instantly understood what Yan Yuan was talking about and who was pulling strings behind the scenes.

He immediately turned his gaze to Dale in the arena, his brows furrowing sharply, a hint of anger and helplessness flashing in his eyes.

This definitely interfered with the quality of training.

He patted Yan Yuan on the shoulder, his tone tinged with weariness and apology: "I understand, Yan. I'm sorry, I'll adjust."

He turned to the substitutes' bench area and shouted in a strong voice:

"Henderson! Come to Group A, replace Dale!"

Henderson immediately stood up and ran onto the field.

Southgate didn't mention Dale's name, but simply made a clear gesture in his direction.

Dell's face immediately turned grim; he knew perfectly well why he had been substituted.

He glanced disapprovingly at Southgate and Yan Yuan on the sidelines, said nothing, and slowly walked off the field with a sullen face.

The situation changed immediately after Henderson came on.

Liverpool's captain is known as a professional role model and the core of midfield link-up play. Once the ball is at his feet, whether it's a transition or an attack, his distribution strategy is clear and precise, and he never overlooks any teammate in a reasonable position.

The ball began to be passed smoothly to Yan Yuan's feet, allowing him to make full runs, receive passes, and complete the final pass or shot.

Group A's offensive drills finally became fluid and effective. Southgate, watching from the sidelines, finally relaxed his tense expression.

At noon, the players' restaurant at the training base was filled with the aroma of food and the sounds of lively conversation.

Yan Yuan carried his tray and found a relatively quiet spot by the window to sit down.

The kind-hearted Maguire brought over a large plate of food.

"Yan, was the training this morning... alright?" Maguire asked in a low voice, referring to Yan Yuan and Dale's situation.

The news spread quickly in the locker room.

"It's alright, Harry, it's just a normal problem to solve. Let's eat, don't think about it." Yan Yuan cut the chicken breast on his plate, his tone gentle.

Just then, a familiar conversation, neither too quiet nor too loud, drifted over from the next table across a row of green plants.

Sitting over there were Sterling, Dale, Cheek, and others.

"Hmph, what's with the attitude? Complaining in public on your very first day? And the coach actually falls for it?" Dale's voice was clearly annoyed, as he forcefully stabbed the food on his plate with his fork.

"He's a double Golden Boot winner, his 'ability' speaks for itself." Sterling's voice followed closely, full of that signature, deliberately affected tone.

"The Bundesliga Golden Boot winner, you know. Our Premier League players don't have that kind of luck to encounter such 'weak' opponents. And the Champions League Golden Boot winner is even more out of the question. Beating a few weak teams in the group stage is a piece of cake, isn't it? Don't you think so, Cheek?" He tried to win over Cheek, who was also present.

Chick was engrossed in his meal and clearly not interested in the topic, nor did he intend to join in. He simply gave a vague "hmm" in response.

Sterling, however, seemed encouraged and raised his voice a little higher.

"To put it bluntly, he just picked a good place to pad his stats. Back in the Champions League match against Manchester City, if Stones hadn't gotten injured in the second leg, we would have been unlucky..."

Sterling, that old rascal, still remembers last season's Champions League.

Stones was also at that table; he listened quietly without commenting, but his brow was slightly furrowed.

Yan Yuan slowly chewed the food in his mouth, looked up at Sterling's position, and his eyes gradually turned cold.

Maguire was getting impatient with Sterling's words and was about to get up to say something to him when Yan Yuan stopped him.

"It's alright, Harry, leave it to me." Yan Yuan picked up the water glass next to him, took a sip, and then wiped his mouth with a napkin.

He stood up, carrying his empty plate, and casually walked towards the table, as if to empty the dishes.

As Yan Yuan passed Sterling, he paused for a fraction of a second, leaned forward slightly, and smiled at Sterling, saying:

"Sterling, you said the opponents I faced in the Champions League last season were weak? Then I have a question, is Manchester City considered a weak team? If you think your Manchester City team is also a weak team, then I admit that my Golden Boot win was somewhat questionable."

Yan Yuan truly deserves the title of "Tai Chi Master." He used Sterling's logic to attack Sterling, which is called using someone else's strength against them.

"You!" Sterling was struck by Yan Yuan's precise words.

Sterling was about to speak when Yan Yuan continued.

"I'm really touched to see how much you care about my goals. Don't worry, Sterling, in the new Premier League season, I'll give you more opportunities to learn how to score goals from me up close."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Yuan continued carrying the plate, even wearing a polite, faint smile as he passed by, and calmly walked past Sterling toward the dish return area.

The movements were so fluid that it was as if nothing had happened, leaving only Sterling frozen in his seat.

His expression froze instantly, and he began to mutter curses under his breath.

But Yan Yuan had already gone far away.

……

In the afternoon, the real highlight arrived: the official ten-on-ten intra-team scrimmage.

The players were divided into red and white teams, wearing training vests of different colors.

The venue fully simulates the competition environment, complete with referees and linesmen.

The atmosphere was even more tense than during the morning training session.

Southgate read aloud from the group stage list:

"White Team: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Yan Yuan; Midfielders: Lingard, Alli, Henderson; Defenders: Trippier, Stones..."

"Red Team forwards: Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford..."

This was originally a normal group assignment, and Yan Yuan was still assigned to his familiar right winger position.

but.

Not long after Southgate finished reading the list.

Yan Yuan raised his hand and asked.

"Coach, can I play as a left winger?"

Southgate paused for a moment, then asked:

"Left winger? Yan, I remember your usual position is the right, right?"

Almost everyone who watched last year's Champions League highlights knows that Yan Yuan's main position at Hoffenheim was right winger, followed by midfield.

"I know, Coach." Yan Yuan's face held a calm and confident smile.

"But I think I can try left winger. I want to try different roles and adapt to different positional needs."

His tone was calm, but his eyes were firm.

"Could you give me a chance, coach?"

Southgate scrutinized him for two seconds, then nodded:

"Alright, since you've requested it, let's adjust the formation. Yan will move to the left wing, and Delph will move to the center to assist in defense. That's it!"

People started whispering among themselves.

It's obvious to everyone that Yan Yuan's choice to play as a left winger is not because he wants to "adapt to a new position".

He was specifically targeting Sterling, the right winger!

This is a classic matchup offense and defense!

Sure enough, the atmosphere was thick with tension from the very beginning of the match.

Kane and Vardy frequently attacked the Red Team's defense, while Sterling used his speed to look for opportunities on the left flank, which was guarded by Yan Yuan.

The two faced off for the first time in a real head-on confrontation.

The red team made a passing error and the ball was intercepted. The white team launched a quick counterattack from their own half, passing the ball from the middle to Yan Yuan on the left wing.

Yan Yuan received the ball and turned, and Trippier, as the right-back, immediately closed in on him!

Facing Trippier, Yan Yuan made a simple and quick left foot outward movement as if to accelerate, followed by a right ankle hook!

The body's center of gravity swayed very little but extremely quickly!

Trippier, with his experience, didn't lose his balance, but Sterling behind him pushed up quite high to support the defense.

Yan Yuan didn't seem to even look at Sterling's position. The instant he finished his feint against Trippier, the ball was precisely lobbed over Sterling's head with a light touch!

The ball has passed.

Furthermore, Sterling missed his target, stumbled, and almost fell.

Yan Yuan, like a cheetah, had already sped past Sterling on the other side and caught the ball he had lobbed to Sterling.

He executed a beautiful stop-and-go maneuver!

Although Maguire eventually cleared the ball from the attack, the speed, anticipation, and skill displayed in that one moment of confrontation made many of his teammates on the sidelines gasp.

This is just the beginning.

In the ensuing confrontation, Yan Yuan seemed to have a radar installed.

As long as Sterling has the ball on the right wing, Yan Yuan's pressure will follow him closely, fierce but never reckless.

Sterling attempted to cut inside past his opponent using his signature short, quick steps.

Yan Yuan wasn't fooled by such a basic feint. He watched Sterling touch the ball and prepare to dribble it away from his foot, then poked it precisely with his right foot.

The ball was cleanly poked away and rolled to the feet of a teammate who was helping to defend.

Sterling lost the ball and was bumped, causing him to stumble.

After a while.

Sterling received a through pass from his teammate and tried to overtake Yan Yuan with his speed.

Yan Yuan relentlessly blocked the inside line during the high-speed chase, maintaining a half-step lead throughout.

Unable to cut inside, Sterling could only dribble towards the byline. Under Yan Yuan's close pressure, Sterling's final step went too far, and the ball rolled directly out of bounds.

He shook his hand in frustration.

Shortly after the ball went out of bounds, Sterling received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, attempting to create space with a feint to shoot or cross.

Yan Yuan pressed close to him again.

Sterling feinted with both feet, trying to shift Yan Yuan's weight.

Yan Yuan's lower body was as stable as a rock, maintaining a reasonable distance and keeping close at hand.

Sterling was forced to dribble laterally, but the more he dribbled, the more awkward it became, and the space became smaller and smaller. Under the pressure of Yan Yuan and his teammates who rushed over, he hurriedly dribbled the ball out of bounds again.

Sterling was so angry that he kicked the air.

A red team attack near the end of the first half.

Sterling received a diagonal pass from Walker on the right wing, attempting to use a change of pace to break through Yan Yuan.

He first slowed down and paused, then suddenly accelerated!

But at the same time he started, Yan Yuan also moved. Instead of retreating, he saw through his intentions and preemptively blocked his possible breakthrough route!

Sterling's body collided with the position that Yan Yuan had occupied in advance, and he instantly lost his balance.

With a "thud," he fell directly to the ground.

Yan Yuan easily intercepted the ball.

Throughout the entire movement, Yan Yuan didn't even touch Sterling's leg; he simply used anticipation and positioning to take him down!

Sterling lay on the ground, his face flushed red, and pounded the grass hard before getting up.

Yan Yuan had already run forward with the ball, without even turning his head.

That indifference made it seem as if they considered what had just happened to be perfectly natural and insignificant.

The second half saw an even stronger atmosphere of tension.

Sterling was clearly on fire, and his movements became much more aggressive, forcing the assistant coach to blow his whistle as a warning.

But this did not change the situation.

Once again, Sterling attempted to accelerate past Yan Yuan, but was once again pinned down at the byline and forced to make a passing error.

After that, Sterling and Trippier tried to play a one-two, but Yan Yuan anticipated their move and intercepted the ball that Trippier was passing to Sterling.

The match is nearing its end.

Yan Yuan received the ball and launched an attack on the left flank, but Sterling tracked back to intercept him.

Yan Yuan faced Sterling and executed a short, controlled dribble past him!

He flicked the ball to the right front with his right foot, but his body was very agile, using Sterling as the axis, he turned his back and passed by Sterling's left side!

Sterling was stunned by the unexpected dribble and hurriedly turned to chase after him, but tripped and fell.

With a "thump," he fell heavily onto the grass again in a disheveled state.

Another clean and efficient stunt!

This time, Yan Yuan acted as if nothing had happened.

He didn't look at Sterling lying on the ground.

They didn't even glance at it.

Yan Yuan dribbled the ball directly towards the penalty area, calmly observing his teammates' runs and looking for an opportunity to pass or shoot.

His expression was terrifyingly calm, as if the person he had just knocked down wasn't a Manchester City key player, but just an ordinary obstacle on the training field.

How to effectively humiliate someone?

That is to defeat him in the way he knows best.

Yan Yuan has already done it.

Sterling got up from the ground, his face beyond ugly; it was a mixture of ashen and flushed with rage.

He stared at Yan Yuan's back with eyes blazing with fury, and seemed to mutter some profanity.

Then he was about to rush towards Yan Yuan!

"F*** you, you arrogant bastard...!"

Walker and Stones reacted quickly, immediately grabbing Sterling from either side.

"Calm down! Rasheed! This is the practice field! We're teammates!" Walker growled in his ear.

"Calm down, Rahim!" Stones hugged him tightly.

Sterling was held tightly by his two burly teammates. After struggling for a few moments, he finally broke free and exhaled through gritted teeth.

He stopped rushing forward, but his gaze remained fixed on Yan Yuan like a knife.

Yan Yuan didn't turn around, but he could clearly feel the gaze behind him that almost pierced through him.

He silenced Sterling with a high-intensity matchup that was precisely matched up against him.

The final whistle blew to signal the end of the match.

The team members walked off the field, exhausted, and patted each other on the shoulder.

Yan Yuan silently took off his training vest.

Southgate walked over to him, patted him on the back, and simply said:

"Yan, you played very well as a left winger."

Southgate's gaze was complex, seemingly containing both approval and concern.

"Thank you, Coach," Yan Yuan nodded in reply.

He picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and slowly drank it.

Yan Yuan was thinking.

He could sense that the controversy and friction in the locker room of this national team might have only just begun.

It seems that every step toward the Russian World Cup will be anything but easy.