Hello! Come On, Goalkeeper!
Manchester United was once a name that made every football fan’s heart tremble with fear.
That era belonged to the Alex Ferguson era.
They dominated the Premier League for years.
Their home ground, Old Trafford, was called the “Theatre of Dreams” by the players themselves and the “Nightmare Stage” by the teams they faced.
At that time, their play felt like an invincible bomber that nothing could shoot down.
In Korea too, it received special attention, and that was because our proud midfielder, Park Ji-sung, shone brightly there.
Anyone who stayed up all night cheering in front of the TV then still remembers that passion.
But even Manchester United, which once seemed destined to be eternal, began to decline after Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
When people were jealous of those superior to them, their fall became a hot topic in the football world.
In Korea, they were mocked as “Manjungdak” and “Manggu,” and their past glory became nothing more than old tales.
Yet within the *Manchester United’s Revival*, Manchester United was different.
Here, the club had overcome decline and, with overwhelming performance reminiscent of their former prime, once again instilled fear in their opponents.
This was thanks to the recruitment of Raul Cruz, the greatest manager of our era.
He corrected Manchester United’s problems one by one at an astonishing speed.
Internal factions, lack of fighting spirit, board interference—everything was normalized in a single moment, and gradually they transformed into the Manchester United fans had longed for.
Thanks to that, Manchester United once again claimed the top spot in the Premier League.
But even with satisfaction, Raul Cruz’s eyes were drawn to Yoo Hee-sung.
Despite facing prejudice as an Asian player and racial discrimination in his early days, the forward who received his trust broke through all those walls thanks to the manager’s firm belief and sincere friendship from teammates.
He created a new legend that surpassed the Manchester United of the Alex Ferguson era.
Of course, it was still before the recruitment of Yoo Hee-sung, and there was no evaluation that he had surpassed that era, but today’s Manchester United had clearly become a powerhouse always fighting for the title.
A young prospect from the mid-table City team of the previous season—who wasn’t even considered a rival anymore—boldly went as far as to belittle Manchester United in an interview.
The Red Devils had been waiting.
They were going to give this arrogant Manchester City brat a lesson.
And the day before the 16th round of the league, a press conference arrived.
* * *
The interview the day before the match was scheduled to be held at the Old Trafford press room of Manchester United’s home ground.
Accordingly, I and Peter Guardian were heading to the interview location.
“Why did he bring me?”
When it came to bringing players to interviews, the manager usually brought the captain, but for some reason, today he brought me instead.
“I’m curious why you’re bringing me.”
“Yeah, usually you bring the captain, right?”
“First time seeing a prospect brought along for an interview in a derby, even on enemy ground… ”
“It’s because of you.”
“Huh?”
“Tae-woo, think back to the interview when you joined the team.”
The question only grew, but seeing the manager’s smile that seemed to hide something…
“Tae-woo, with your personality, you won’t just take a jab, right? Derby interviews have to be this hot. Mathias is just too nice to pull that off.”
No, what kind of person does the manager see me as…
The noisy press room.
“Whoa, this match looks way more fun than expected.”
“Yeah, who would’ve thought City would be sitting pretty at the top.”
“Well, even with Man United like this—”
“City could still win, you know. They overcame their slump too.”
The young reporter with glasses cautiously asked, and the journalists answered with laughter.
“…No, that’s not something you can say if you want to win.”
That was beyond their common sense.
Recently, the Manchester Derby had been a complete streak of City defeats.
Could City defeat such a strong Man United?
“City could pull it off. But how are they supposed to beat Man United?”
“Man United is invincible this season.”
“City is currently in first.”
For a moment the room fell silent at her words.
“You’re a City fan?”
“Y-yes…”
“Haha, even you get a pass. Of all people, a City fan.”
“A City fan is—”
At that moment the entrance to the press room opened, cutting off her sentence.
“Hello~”
With a warm and bright voice, Raul Cruz stepped in.
His usual gentle smile was still there, but the moment he appeared, the air in the room instantly grew heavy.
The man who had led Manchester United’s revival—and was called an absolute in the club—possessed overwhelming presence simply by his existence.
Following him came Alex Turner.
The club’s symbolic captain, his expression was unusually grave.
Raul Cruz looked around.
“Ah, the City side hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s wait just a little longer and begin.”
Before his words were even finished, the press room door opened once more.
“We’re late. Sorry.”
It was Peter Guardian and me.
“Eh? Not Mathias?”
“Instead of Mathias, it’s Jung Tae-woo?”
Journalists whispered in surprise at various spots in the room.
Since derbies featured aggressive questions and answers, most interviews brought the veteran captain rather than a young prospect, so reporters couldn’t help but be surprised.
But soon they sensed that this situation could be a pretty good chance for them.
“Isn’t that the kid who trash-talked Man United at the joining ceremony?”
“If he answers this one as hot as last time…”
“It’ll be fun.”
The journalists’ eyes began to sparkle.
Even as football fans, they were journalists who couldn’t resist a special feature.
“Hahaha, seeing such an amazingly famous player lately is an honor.”
At Raul Cruz’s words, I looked at him.
‘As expected, his aura is massive.’
People said those at the absolute peak of a specific profession carried a fitting aura.
Raul Cruz, who had maintained the top spot as a football manager, radiated overwhelming presence of his own.
“I’m honored to meet you, Coach.”
‘Why is he staring at me like that?’
Raul Cruz was certainly a concern, but from the moment the player beside him entered the press room, he had been giving me a sharp gaze, so I was on edge.
‘Are you my fan?’
But his gaze carried far too much hostility for that.
“Well, it seems everything is ready…”
Raul Cruz smiled at Peter Guardian and spoke.
“Guardian, shall we begin the interview?”
Peter Guardian glanced at me for a moment, then nodded.
“Yes, please.”
The journalists all raised their pens and pressed the record buttons.
“Today’s first Manchester Derby of the season. How do you predict the result?”
Raul Cruz lifted the microphone first and began answering the journalist’s question.
“Football is loved by people so deeply because you can never know the outcome. We prepared so much to beat City, but City is preparing just as hard, so we can’t say for sure.”
Peter Guardian nodded and continued.
“I feel the same way. The ball is round. Even if our recent record isn’t great, that won’t decide this match’s result.”
The journalists looked disappointed by their calm replies, but they kept going as if they had prepared the next moves in advance.
“I’d like to ask Alex Turner. How do you feel about Jung Tae-woo’s remarks when he joined the team?”
Journalists’ gazes all turned to Alex Turner.
They hadn’t expected much.
After all, the Alex Turner they knew didn’t start provocative talks with other players first.
“Jung Tae-woo is, in my opinion, the most outstanding and sensational player in his age group.”
Journalists waited with the expression “so that’s why.”
‘Did I misread it? He was glaring at me with hostility earlier…’
But his next words were the real start.
“But I’ve been watching football for many years. I’ve watched how the talented players who lacked respect for other teams fell and what results they ultimately faced…”
He looked straight at me and continued as if to make me listen properly.
“I hope Jung Tae-woo doesn’t waste his talent by getting frustrated in this match. Because Man United is a team that only goes up, never down.”
This was a direct rebuttal to the remark I had made during recruitment: “Man United will only fall, City will only rise.”
‘He’s got guts. Well, I can’t say I can’t understand.’
If I had been at my peak as a City player while a young prospect from Man United belittled City, I might have said the same…
‘Understanding and getting angry are two different things.’
It wasn’t that understanding made me not angry.
“Jung Tae-woo, how do you feel about Alex Turner’s reply?”
The female reporter with glasses asked.
Her expression seemed oddly angry.
‘City fan? Well, it’s a good question anyway.’
“I like Leo the most among players.”
At my words, the journalists’ expressions turned to “What kind of question is that all of a sudden?”
‘Hold on. With provocative answers, I need to build up.’
“So I really want to thank Manchester United for creating a space next to Leo’s record where my name is engraved.”
“Eh, that’s…”
“Yes. I’ll prove City’s victory with a clean sheet in the Man United match too. Showing that City is gradually climbing. And about Alex Turner’s reply, I don’t have anything particularly to say, but since he asked, I’ll answer like this. Among the players I’ve watched who fell and got frustrated, has there ever been one who performed as well as me?”
The moment my words ended, camera flashes erupted.