Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Knocking on the Door (4)
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Black-Haired Tactical Genius
Chapter 73: Knocking on the Door (4)
Adebayor's test took place the next day.
For Jeong-woo, he wanted Adebayor to face the test in the best possible condition.
That's why he booked him a night at Bolton's top luxury hotel and assigned a physical therapist to fine-tune his physical state and form.
"Whoa, it's Adebayor...!"
"No way."
Just the sight of Adebayor showing up on the training pitch had the players' mouths dropping open in shock.
They were amazed and stunned to come face-to-face with the former bad boy they'd only seen on TV.
David Dignity even flinched.
'Adebayor...!'
He'd been a fan since childhood.
He could barely suppress the urge to run up and ask for an autograph right then.
But as the test unfolded..., a few showed signs of disappointment.
Watching Adebayor go through the technical area sessions, Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes.
"His form's definitely dropped off."
He'd only played two games for Club Olympia before being released, leaving a pretty long gap.
It had been ages since his last real match, so his match fitness was bound to suffer.
But beyond that, Jeong-woo saw the real issue.
Park Hee-won, standing beside him, muttered with half-lidded eyes.
"His raw power's still there like always..., but his stamina and speed are dead?"
At Jeong-woo's request, Adebayor was running through various tests right now.
Like sudden sprints from a standstill.
This was to check his dribbling speed and penetration pace.
Next, they had him accelerate over 25 meters from a running start.
Jeong-woo observed the heaving, panting Adebayor with a scout's eye and murmured to himself.
"This is to measure acceleration..., but..."
Sadly, the current Adebayor had no acceleration to speak of.
Jeong-woo knew.
'Back in his prime, he had winger-level pace.'
At over 190cm tall, he wasn't just a target man—he was a monster with that power too.
Soon, Jeong-woo gave his cold assessment.
"This is age-related decline."
His hang time on the drop jump test was still pretty impressive, though.
Jeong-woo nodded slightly.
"That African explosiveness is still alive."
But it wasn't enough.
"Hey, hold up a sec."
Jeong-woo raised his hand, halting the test midway.
Sweat-soaked Adebayor turned toward him.
Jeong-woo grinned.
"Let's play a practice game."
* * *
Emmanuel Adebayor.
He was once called one of the world's top strikers.
Starting his senior career at FC Metz, he scored 17 goals in his debut season, showing his potential.
After stints at AC Monaco and a transfer to Arsenal—where he fought through ups and downs to claim a starting spot against Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, and Baptista—his story became the dream made real that every player yearns for.
'I played for Manchester City, Real Madrid too...!'
Panting heavily, Adebayor let old memories flash by like a panorama.
But each one twisted his face in a grimace he couldn't hide.
They were just the past now.
Whoooosh-!
Right on cue, a ball arced toward the goalmouth.
A cross from Owen Pressais.
Thwack-!
Adebayor gritted his teeth and leaped for a running header inside the box.
But he clenched his jaw in frustration.
Thud-!
Dominic Shield, the center-back, had beaten him to it with a clearing header.
"Huff-!"
Stumbling on landing, Adebayor exhaled deeply.
By the time he regained his balance, the ball was already downfield on the other side.
"Huff, huff-!"
Once his breathing got ragged, it was hard to steady.
Still, Adebayor turned back, teeth clenched.
'This is my last shot...!'
Honestly, the old him would've scoffed at Bolton.
But not anymore.
As the years piled on and his place in football slipped away, he'd realized something.
This game was more merit-based than anyone imagined.
And one more thing.
'I still want to play...!'
Some said he'd passed his expiration date.
But Adebayor was still burning with the desire to run.
Not at the level of his peak Arsenal, City, or Tottenham days, but he craved the crowd's eyes.
Plus, there were still people who believed in him.
His agent, Yomo Aye, standing on the bench sidelines, was one.
'Yomo...!'
He watched with an anxious face, praying desperately.
Please, let Bolton sign me.
Their bond went back to their hometown, Lomé in Togo's Maritime region.
When Adebayor was eight, Yomo Aye, a scout, spotted his talent first and brought him to OC Agaza.
To Adebayor, he was like a second father.
They'd only been together as agent and player for under five years, but personally, they supported each other like father and son.
"Huff, huff-!"
Fueled by the will to play, his ragged breaths eased a bit.
Adebayor steeled himself.
'It has to be here!'
He didn't love Bolton that much.
But for him now, it was a final destination.
To prove he hadn't crumbled yet.
He'd played 30 minutes of the first half, touching the ball plenty.
Naturally.
Jeong-woo was testing offensive output around Adebayor.
He'd instructed Adebayor's teammates to feed him the ball.
The opposition marked him like it was a real match.
The results weren't great.
"Just sparkled for about 10 minutes."
Now on the bench, Jeong-woo crossed his legs.
His expression remained grim.
Exactly—Adebayor had flashed for 10 minutes.
'His target man movement up top was pretty threatening. Veteran savvy, you could say.'
But that was it.
Afterward, his stamina tanked, and he couldn't even position right.
Today was an open training session too.
Though Adebayor's surprise visit had turned it into a test match.
Still..., there were some striking moments.
'His popularity's still alive and well.'
Fans beyond the fence had spotted Adebayor and been clamoring for autographs since earlier.
Word must've spread—more had gathered now.
Soon, Jeong-woo signaled to stop the test.
No need to see more.
"Huff, huff-!"
At the final whistle, Adebayor dropped to his knees, hands on the ground.
He felt it too.
Months as a free agent had tanked his fitness and match sharpness worse than usual.
He felt a bit hard done by.
'If I'd kept playing steadily, I could've done better...!'
He braced for the grim reality.
'Rejected again.'
Truth was, Adebayor had shopped around several clubs already.
After Club Olympia cut him loose, he'd hit up others in the same league.
Then Serie B, Bundesliga 2, French second division—he'd sent proposals everywhere.
No dice.
That's how he'd ended up here.
"Ha, man."
A hollow laugh escaped.
Adebayor hung his head.
Thick sweat drops traced from his eyes down his cheeks.
Bolton's owner-manager had given him this test shot.
Even promised weird clauses if he passed.
But in the end, he'd blown it again.
That's when it happened.
"Hey, everyone!"
Jeong-woo clapped from the bench, drawing eyes.
Adebayor stayed slumped, unable to lift his head.
Yomo Aye on the bench watched with growing sadness.
Jeong-woo glanced between them, then chuckled.
"You're in!"
"Wh-what?!"
Yomo Aye let out a demonic shriek.
Emmanuel Adebayor froze mid-collapse.
Eyes bulging, his mind filled with questions.
'No way, why...?'
* * *
Bolton Wanderers announced Adebayor's signing on their official site.
[Emmanuel Adebayor! Agrees to 1-Year Short-Term Deal with Bolton Wanderers!]
Reactions exploded not just in England, but Korea too.
- <LifeIsAFootballMile> : Wait, what? That... the Godbayor I know?
- <LeftHandSleepAnesthesia> : Whoa, insane! Adebayor was still alive!
- <DodgeballKingHani> : Wasn't he retired?
- <BikeKick> : Isn't this the guy who wrecked El Clasico? Just tossed Lionel Messi around...!
└ <MessilessKing> : Blasted Busquets with a ki blast too. lololol
- <ReverseRunRapeJam> : Adebayor always reminds me of City vs Arsenal. That reverse-run celebration for revenge..., impossible to forget lololol
Mostly positive vibes.
Possible because Bolton was stuck in League One.
Even if Adebayor was older and declined, his big-league peaks were too massive.
Sure, some negativity.
- <NaturalHater> : What era is this Adebayor from?
- <HeartBread> : Dude got released from an obscure league with no goals. Looks like a name-value signing with no thought.
- <SharpForehead> : Adebayor, huh. Bet he sits the bench all year.
But the hate faded quick.
Jeong-woo dropped a 20-minute docu on his Nutter channel.
Narrated with Jungle King flair through his life story.
[Emmanuel Adebayor! He's a beast of the pitch! Born to rule this jungle...! Er, this field from the start!]
He'd added light commentary to the narration lately.
In the owner's office, the executive chair creaked every time Jeong-woo shifted.
He grinned at his phone.
[Emmanuel Adebayor...! Yes, the infamous reverse-run celebration guy! Togo's star striker and pitch beast...!]
Epic BGM from the intro.
Then quick cuts from his FC Metz youth days onward.
"Hit 'em with the childhood feels first."
Show his growth, make fans understand Adebayor, plant affection.
"People bond with characters who have a backstory arc."
Adebayor's fame was sky-high already.
Jeong-woo's reasons for signing him were threefold.
First: marketing.
"Figured the name alone would make waves."
Beyond expectations.
Not just Bolton media—UK-wide coverage.
Even Korean outlets calling about the signing.
Boosted by the United win too.
'League One Bolton who beat United signs ex-star Adebayor!'
Perfect picture.
Jeong-woo amplified it via Nutter like a megaphone.
And that meant cash.
Second: on-pitch value.
'Sure, his form's in the gutter.'
But Jeong-woo saw it.
That sharp thorn glinting in his 10-minute flash.
He'd already mapped a revival plan in his head during tests.
Third: experience.
'Bolton's average age is super young now.'
Lacking vets.
Adebayor had prowled countless fields as a striker.
Jeong-woo figured his mere presence would help.
'Gotta manage him right.'
Signing was low-risk.
Zero transfer fee, and wages cheaper than expected.
Still top-tier for Bolton, though.
'That's the fame premium.'
Fame equals marketing—worth investing.
Critics grumbled.
Some pundits worried about too many strikers.
Media and fans pushed for GK or defenders instead.
But Jeong-woo shook his head.
"Of course we'll sign defenders."
Procedures underway quietly.
Just slow for one reason.
"Defense is the position you can't rush."
Forwards could whiff attacks and try again.
But defense? Chemistry is king.
Attack chemistry matters too, but lower risk.
"No chemistry, just no goals."
In defense, failed sync often means goals conceded.
Jeong-woo muttered low.
"No goals means a draw; conceding means loss in football."
So he had to be cautious.
That's when it came on.
[Emmanuel Adebayor, eh? Signing a striker just for blocking like Shearer or Kane? Hmm. Who knows. One thing's clear—their strikers aren't threatening. They don't score.]
On TV, Charlton Athletic's boss Jimmy Jones gave an interview ahead of tomorrow's fourth round.
He'd been poking minds since the presser.
Jeong-woo knew, via Richard Geers.
Jimmy Jones was a sly fox.
Three Middle East titles showed his tactical chops were massive.
Yet he came back to League One where he played? Pure love for Charlton.
Fans called him a romantic.
"Hmm."
Watching Jimmy Jones, Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes.
"Familiar scent."
[074. Mad Dog (1)]
Black-Haired Tactical Genius