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

This is Yan Yuan's second time visiting the national team training base.

Today, the air at the St. George's Park training ground seems much "warmer" than during the previous pre-World Cup training camp.

Yan Yuan, carrying his bag, stepped into the familiar changing room, no longer facing those scrutinizing, doubtful, or even somewhat distant gazes.

Instead, there were several faces with genuine smiles.

"Hey! Look, our Golden Boots guy is back!" Harry Kane was the first to stand up, walked over and patted him hard on the shoulder, his voice booming.

"Welcome back, buddy!" Rashford greeted him with a smile.

"Yo! Yan! You got a Mercedes? An AMG S63? That's awesome! I saw it on Instagram!" Lingard, always the life of the party, winked and leaned in, immediately bringing up Yan Yuan's undeniably impressive car.

"When are you going to take us guys for a spin? Let's see what it's like to drive a €3 million football star's car!"

Yan Yuan put down his bag and responded to Lin Jiade's teasing with a smile.

"Jesse, going for a drive is no problem, but you can reimburse me for the gas. Gas prices are pretty high lately."

His relaxed tone drew laughter from those around him.

Sterling also walked over, his eyes holding a hint of competitive amusement, but mostly approval.

"Yan, your Arsenal is really on fire lately, keeping us right behind! Looks like defending the title won't be easy this season."

Yan Yuan immediately waved his hand, his tone humble but with a hint of slyness: "No, no, no, Raheem, Manchester City is the leader. We're just trying our best to stay close, hoping not to fall too far behind. We both need to be careful."

This statement both flattered the opponent and highlighted the relationship between the speaker and Sterling at the club, striking a perfect balance.

"Yan, that backheel assist to Cancelo from Newcastle was brilliant!" Maguire's booming voice rang out. He came over like a mobile fortress, giving Yan Yuan a hard slap on the back with his large, fan-like hand.

"Speaking of which, your team's right flank is really a headache right now. If you and that Moroccan kid get going, who can stop them?"

Yan Yuan stumbled from Maguire's enthusiastic pat, then rubbed his back with a smile.

"Harry, your Leicester City is no pushover either. You and Pereira also performed exceptionally well in the last game."

"That's right!" Maguire grinned, clearly pleased.

It must be said that the atmosphere was indeed relaxed and harmonious.

Compared to the "Bundesliga kid Yan Yuan" who arrived in 2018 before the World Cup, was subtly ostracized by the Premier League players, and could only huddle with young players.

Yan Yuan is now the core player of Arsenal.

With his undeniable on-field performance, the Golden Boot award, and his increasingly composed and emotionally intelligent handling of situations, he has completely won the recognition and respect of the locker room.

He is no longer a fringe player who needs to prove himself, but an indispensable attacking core for the England team.

Soon, head coach Gareth Southgate and his assistant Holland entered the locker room, and the noise gradually subsided.

Southgate was still wearing his signature vest, with a gentle yet serious expression on his face.

"I'm glad to see everyone back in high spirits."

Southgate's gaze swept across every face, lingering particularly long on Yan Yuan's face for a moment.

"First of all, welcome to our two new friends, Joe Gomez and Luke Shaw. We are officially welcoming you both to the national team family."

He looked at the newly selected defender Joe Gomez and the returning left-back Luke Shaw, and the two nodded to each other.

Gomez is tall and composed, while Luke seems eager to try. The addition of these two undoubtedly strengthens the defensive line and adds vitality.

"This mobilization has a very clear mission, and it is also very challenging." Southgate's tone turned serious as he continued, "Our next match is in the UEFA Nations League Group A, and our opponent is—Spain."

The locker room fell silent instantly, and an invisible pressure filled the air.

Spain, the originator of possession-based football and the pinnacle of technical football, is always a formidable opponent.

"This will be an important benchmark for testing our strength and progress," Holland added, turning on the tactical projector.

"Spain's passing, possession, and penetration abilities need no introduction. Busquets' control of the tempo, Thiago's creativity, Rodrygo's (not the Brazilian Rodrygo) impact, Ramos's toughness, and their overall movement and one-touch passing... We need to give 200% focus and execution."

The screen begins playing clips from recent Spanish matches, highlighting their strong midfield control, penetration into the flanks, and rapid link-up play on the wings.

Southgate and Holland took turns explaining the opponent's usual tactics and the characteristics of their key players.

"Their midfield is the engine, the core," Southgate said, pointing to the screen with a laser pointer.

"Busquets is the metronome, while Thiago and Silva, among others, are responsible for orchestrating and delivering the attacks. We can't let them comfortably receive the ball and turn, nor can we allow them to freely orchestrate the midfield. We need a more compact formation and a tougher midfield attack! Dier and Henderson, your tasks will be very heavy! You need to act as shields to withstand their first wave of attacks!"

Dale and Henderson nodded solemnly.

"Defensively," Southgate's gaze shifted to the backline, "Maguire, Stones, Joe, you need to maintain extremely high positional awareness and communication efficiency, and be ready to provide cover at any time. Luke, Trippier, or Arnold, be cautious with your wing play; your primary task is to limit their crosses from the wings and their runs into the flanks!"

Then, Southgate turned his gaze to the frontcourt, finally fixing it on Yan Yuan, his eyes sharp and full of expectation.

"And on the offensive end, our key point lies here: Yan's right flank!"

All eyes were on Yan Yuan.

Yan Yuan sat up straight.

"Spain's defense on the left flank is weak, with Alba making significant forward runs. Center-back Ramos needs to cover the space behind him, and that's an area that can be exploited!"

Southgate's hands slid rapidly across the tactical board.

"We will primarily use a 4-2-3-1 formation, but we will grant Yan absolute freedom to attack and push forward on the right flank."

"Kane," he said, looking at the captain, "you might need to drop back a bit more, drop back more to connect the ball, and use your pivot role to create one-on-one opportunities or even open runs for Yan and Sterling or Rashford on the flanks! If necessary, you can also move to the left to draw attention away from Yan and create more space for Yan's attack on the right!"

Kane nodded earnestly: "Understood, Coach."

"Rashford," Southgate said, looking towards the left flank, "you need to utilize your inside cuts and vertical runs! Draw the attention of their right center-back! At the same time, be constantly aware of Kane's drop passes and Yan's potential cutbacks or crosses after a breakthrough on the right! You two wingers need to coordinate, and your positional interchanges must be decisive!"

"The key is on the right flank!" Southgate emphasized again, pointing his finger at Yan Yuan's location.

"Yan! I demand that you unleash your attacking instincts! Boldly dribble and break through! Use your speed, your vision, and your dribbling ability to attack the junctions of the Spanish defense! I want you to become the sharpest blade in our counter-attacks!"

Once you successfully break through, you have two options: First, cut inside and create a killing opportunity! You have the ability! Second, and most importantly, look up! Kane will flank in the middle, your teammates will follow up at the far post, and Henderson or Dier might also appear at the top of the key. Your vision and overall game awareness are the key to breaking down the Spanish defense!

"Understood, Coach!" Yan Yuan nodded emphatically.

Southgate's words ignited a flame in Yan Yuan's heart.

This is an unprecedented level of tactical importance.

It is the head coach's absolute trust in his abilities.

The burden of launching and initiating the team's attacks on the right flank rests on Yan Yuan's young shoulders!

"Midfielders, Henderson, Dier," Southgate said, looking at the two. "Your task isn't just defense. In the transition from defense to attack, you must find Yan immediately, especially when he's making a high-speed run! Get the ball accurately to his feet and let him charge!"

"In defense, after winning the ball, don't blindly launch long balls. Prioritize finding the midfield, or directly find Yan on the right flank! Quickly move through the midfield and use his speed to attack!"

Southgate's core tactical deployment was crystal clear.

Compressing the midfield space limits Spain's passing and control; after winning the ball, quickly move through the midfield, using Yan Yuan's individual ability and speed advantage on the right wing as a breakthrough point to tear apart the Spanish defense and create opportunities for attackers like Kane.

……

In the following days of training, the intensity of training at the St. George Park base increased dramatically.

Southgate and Holland personally directed the group drills, focusing on practicing this "right-wing demolition" tactic.

On the training field, the starting team formed an extremely tight defensive circle near the center circle, coupled with high-intensity pressing, making it difficult for the substitutes to pass the ball around easily in midfield.

Dell and Henderson were like two moving meat grinders, constantly engaging in physical confrontations and interceptions.

During training, whenever the Spanish team loses possession in midfield, the referee immediately blows his whistle to signal a change in attack and defense.

The center-back or defensive midfielder responsible for distributing the ball must immediately observe Yan Yuan's starting position on the right flank and strive to break through the opponent's defense with a precise long pass or through ball.

There are even more obvious changes.

Yan Yuan received the ball on the right wing more often.

At the same time, he also has to face a more intense defense.

Yan Yuan used his newly upgraded A-level speed and the terrifying burst of power from his new skill to repeatedly attempt to overtake others.

Sometimes he successfully dribbled past them, and sometimes he was blocked by the experienced Gomez or teammates who came up to help defend.

Every breakthrough and every ball handling after a confrontation was carefully observed and recorded by Southgate and Holland on the sidelines, and they immediately provided detailed guidance during timeouts.

"Yan! Be more decisive in your acceleration! Don't wait until the ball is at your feet before you speed up!"

"Great shot! Beautiful spike! After that, don't hesitate, shoot directly or pass to the far post!"

"Watch out! When you're double-teamed, look up at mid! Kane! Kane's right there!"...

During training, Kane also followed the tactical requirements, dropping deeper into his position.

He used his excellent back-to-goal ability and precise passing to supply ammunition for Yan Yuan and Sterling.

He sometimes even moved to the left wing, drawing Spain's defensive focus there and creating one-on-one or even open opportunities for Yan Yuan on the right wing.

After receiving a brilliant diagonal pass from Kane, Yan Yuan made a high-speed run down the wing and delivered a cutback pass, which Henderson met in the middle and slotted home!

On the left flank, Sterling and Rashford were equally active.

They used their speed to cut inside, drawing the defense, and sometimes swapped positions with Yan Yuan. Yan Yuan could also create threats when he switched to the left wing.

The England midfielders also practiced their opportunities to make late runs into the box.

When Yan Yuan draws enough defensive attention on the wing and passes the ball back or across to the middle, they need to appear like ghosts in the arc area to complete a long-range shot or a second play.

New addition Joe Gomez has demonstrated his excellent one-on-one defensive ability and recovery speed in training, and his pairing with Maguire appears solid.

Luke Shaw proved himself to be an important option on the left flank with his sharp attacking runs and accurate crosses.

After several days of joint training, although there were mistakes and difficulties in coordination, the overall effect was encouraging for Southgate.

The players' understanding and execution of the new tactics are improving rapidly.

Yan Yuan's performance on the right wing was particularly outstanding. His combination of speed, technique, and insightful attacking power is exactly the weapon that the England team needs most right now.

His coordination with Kane is becoming increasingly seamless, and his positional interchanges with the left winger are quite threatening.

After training, Southgate specifically kept Yan Yuan behind:

"Yan, how's it going with the national team this time?"

Yan Yuan wiped his sweat, his eyes bright: "Very good, Coach! The tactical approach is very clear, and everyone is working hard to adapt."

"Yes," Southgate nodded, speaking earnestly, "Spain's defense is very experienced, and their center-backs will coordinate very well. You need to make good use of your strengths, and even more importantly, take advantage of their anticipation of space! Remember, dribbling isn't the goal; creating scoring opportunities is! Your passing choices will be one of the key factors in deciding the game. I believe you can do it."

"I understand, Coach!" Yan Yuan nodded vigorously, feeling the heavy responsibility and trust placed in him.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the training field in St. George's Park, casting long, stretched shadows of the players.

Yan Yuan gazed at the distant horizon dyed red by the sunset, his heart filled with anticipation for the upcoming great battle.

This time, he was no longer the marginalized person who needed to prove himself.

He is the sharpest spearhead in England's squad, and will face the mighty Spanish bullfighters head-on.

The ball at his feet carries the expectations of the British Isles and his own ambition to constantly break through.