Jonathan Woodgate returned home from Tottenham Hotspur's Chigwell training base in Enfield.
As soon as he walked through the door, he tossed his car keys onto the sofa and collapsed onto it.
In the empty mansion, the only sounds were his own.
If he stayed still, he could probably hear his own heartbeat.
He didn't know when it started, but he had grown used to this kind of life, and people had grown used to not seeing him.
Ironically, he played for Tottenham Hotspur, one of the Premier League's stronger teams, and was the highest-paid player in the squad.
In January 2008, to lure Woodgate to North London, Tottenham had offered him a weekly wage of £65,000. It wasn't the highest in the Premier League at the time, but it was certainly a hefty salary.
When he first arrived, he performed well and once again proved he was a top centre-back in Europe.
He played not only in the Premier League but also in the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Though he suffered a groin strain and a back injury during that period, they only kept him out for a game or two each time.
But starting with the 2009–2010 season, he felt something was off.
In the 2008–2009 season, he played 44 matches for Tottenham, totalling 3,833 minutes. Such a high appearance rate made everyone think he had escaped the injury nightmare, but only Woodgate knew the truth, his body couldn't take it.
He even sought help from his mentor at Real Madrid, the highly respected fitness coach Buenaventura, who told him clearly that he was playing too much.
But the team was under pressure to perform, and he had to play—especially since he was earning a top-tier salary.
The consequences eventually caught up with him in the 2009–2010 season.
Due to recurring groin strains, he only made three appearances for Tottenham that entire season: once off the bench for fourteen minutes, and twice as a starter playing the full 90 minutes. Interestingly, those two starts came in a 2–0 win over Sunderland and a 9–1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic, both matches in which Tottenham performed solidly.
Everyone knew that Woodgate had the ability—but only if he was healthy.
A healthy Woodgate was absolutely one of the best centre-backs in Europe. But he had suffered too many injuries.
Worse still, the Premier League introduced a new registration rule starting in the 2010 season.
Each club could only register 25 players, eight of whom had to be homegrown.
Under such restrictions, no team was willing to give up a precious spot for a player who only managed three appearances the entire season. So Redknapp had to tell Woodgate that he would be left out of the squad.
That meant he hadn't played a single minute in the Premier League so far this season.
His only appearance came in the Europa League, where he came off the bench for 31 minutes. Unfortunately, the long absence from competitive football meant he couldn't adapt to the match intensity.
After that match, he was diagnosed with an adductor strain, followed by a calf strain.
Injury after injury. As soon as one part healed, another gave way...
It left him feeling hopeless, as if no part of his body was healthy.
But what crushed him even more was the emotional distance.
Everyone—from the coaches to the players to the support staff, even the team doctor who was supposed to be looking after him, started to keep their distance. No one wanted to waste time or resources on a player who was injured all the time.
Slowly, he became a marginal figure at the Chigwell training base without even realizing it.
Many times, no one even informed him of team gatherings.
He even suspected that if he didn't show up at the training ground one day, no one would notice.
Of course, Daniel Levy would.
Literally, to settle accounts.
The shrewd CEO had long been unhappy with him and was constantly looking for faults.
If he were to skip training, Levy would undoubtedly come down hard on him.
After all, Woodgate didn't play, yet still collected £65,000 a week from the club.
That was more than Modric, more than Van der Vaart.
Sometimes, even Woodgate suspected that this was the real reason why everyone disliked him.
At the start of the season, Levy had approached him with a new contract proposal that would pay based on playing time.
To be honest, that made sense—but the timing was wrong.
Woodgate had already been excluded from the squad list. Signing that new deal would mean he might not earn a single penny all season, yet his registration would still be held by Spurs.
Tell me, who would agree to such a deal?
More importantly, when he signed with Spurs, it was a three-and-a-half-year contract, due to expire in 2011.
From any angle, Woodgate had no reason to accept Levy's offer.
Even if it meant leaving on a free transfer this summer.
At thirty-one, Woodgate clearly saw the twilight of his career approaching.
He had to start preparing for the future.
So even if many Spurs fans accused him of being greedy or shameless, he would stay.
Because he never believed he was unworthy.
The reason he had suffered so many injuries these past two years was precisely because he had been overused in the first two seasons after joining.
At Real Madrid, he was able to perform consistently at a high level because Gao Shen had arranged special physiotherapy for him and limited him to just one game per week. He was managed with extreme caution.
But at Tottenham...
Lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, Woodgate didn't even bother to turn on the lights.
He used to be a restless young man, always chasing excitement, always making mistakes. But now, he had learned to enjoy the quiet, to accept the loneliness.
People say that's maturity.
Maybe.
Either way, he was definitely more mature than most.
At least he was still earning £65,000 a week.
But what about the future?
…
A sudden ring jolted Woodgate in the dark.
He didn't even feel like moving. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. When he saw the caller ID, he sat up suddenly.
The sudden movement nearly strained his back.
"Hello, boss." Woodgate's voice was filled with excitement.
You say you enjoy being alone, but who doesn't want to be noticed?
"Jonathan, where are you?" Gao Shen asked on the other end.
"At home in London," Woodgate replied. "And you, boss?"
"Still busy," Gao Shen answered.
Woodgate fell silent.
Of course he was.
Manchester City were about to face Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final. Gao Shen was bound to be busy.
So why was he calling?
City's current squad was stacked. Woodgate knew his own limitations and didn't dare entertain any illusions.
"I'll get straight to the point. I have something to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"Are you interested in returning to Leeds United?"
"Leeds United?" Woodgate was stunned.
That was where he made his professional debut, where he rose to fame, and where he made many mistakes.
But wasn't the team in the Championship now?
"Yes, Leeds United. But I'll be honest. You'll need to take a very significant pay cut. There's no way Leeds can afford your £65,000 weekly wage." Gao Shen chuckled at the end.
That amount was nothing to Gao Shen, but for Leeds United, it was an astronomical figure.
"Boss, I don't quite understand." Woodgate was confused.
The person on the other end laughed. "Not long ago, Leeds United announced on their official website that they had signed an exclusive acquisition agreement with a foreign company."
"That was you?" Woodgate was so shocked he shot up from the couch.
God, that was explosive news.
If this got out, the entire European football world would be shaken.
"Keep it cool, and keep it secret," Gao Shen said with a smile. "Strictly speaking, it's not me. It's my fiancée."
Woodgate immediately realized Gao Shen wasn't joking.
Return to Leeds United?
That actually sounded pretty good.
"As for salary, we'll definitely renegotiate. It'll have to be reduced to a level Leeds can manage. But I can promise you, we believe in your ability and experience. We need a veteran like you to lead the younger players. You'll be captain."
Woodgate listened intently, running through all kinds of scenarios in his head.
"Fernando Lucas will be CEO, Borrell—whom you haven't worked with but know—will be technical director. Sarri, my assistant coach, will be the head coach."
All familiar names.
That made Woodgate feel more at ease.
"I've already discussed this with them. We all think you're a great fit. The only issue is your salary and your personal willingness. So, I wanted to ask—are you interested?"
Gao Shen paused before adding, "You're 31 now. You won't be able to play forever. It's time to think about the future. If you join Leeds United, you'll be able to get involved in the coaching staff or youth training academy. After retirement, you could transition into coaching."
It had to be said, Woodgate was seriously tempted.
Gao Shen was the hottest manager in football. But realistically, becoming his assistant right after retiring wasn't feasible.
All of Gao Shen's current staff were among the top coaches in world football.
But being able to work with capable coaches like Lucas, Borrell and Sarri was already a priceless opportunity. Not to mention, there could be chances to learn under Gao Shen in the future.
With all that in mind, Woodgate had nothing to hesitate about.
"Boss, I promise you—I'll go to Leeds United!"
On the other end of the line, Gao Shen sounded surprised. "You don't want to think it over?"
"No need. If it were anyone else, I might hesitate. But I trust you completely!"
Gao Shen paused for two or three seconds. "I'll ask Buenaventura and Pintus to look into your situation. Don't worry. You might still have a few good years left. It's not time to retire yet."
"Help Leeds United earn promotion back to the Premier League, and I'll give you a raise!"
"Thank you, boss!"
(To be continued.)