But the two of them reacted lukewarmly to my question.
“Rooney is still a young player. Rather than transferring, it’s better for him to stay at Everton and continue playing as a starter.”
That was the answer from Paul, the agent.
“There are rumors linking him with Manchester United. Is that not true?”
“...It’s true. But he won’t transfer this season. It’s better for Rooney—and for Everton—if he shows better results first and then transfers.”
Even after Paul finished speaking, Rooney hadn’t said a single word.
I turned my head toward Rooney, who was drinking tomato juice.
“Rooney. Do you think the sa way your agent does?”
“Umm...”
Rooney glanced nervously at Paul.
This little brat was still really just a kid. Paul answered on Rooney’s behalf.
“Rooney thinks the sa as I do. He just can’t explain it clearly because he’s still young.”
Was this man saying these things for Rooney’s future—or for his own benefit?
At the very least, I could see the agent’s greed clearly.
He wanted Rooney to show more potential at Everton for another year and then be sold for a higher price.
“Ellen. Please discuss the terms with the agent. I need to talk privately with Rooney.”
“No. Being alone—”
“In the end, without your signatures nothing can proceed, right? So don’t worry. Please just listen to the conditions we’re offering. Discussing transfer fees and wages in front of the player is a bit inappropriate, isn’t it?”
“...Fine.”
Paul moved with Ellen to another spot. Once Paul disappeared from sight, I asked Rooney:
“Who’s your favorite player?”
“...Ronaldo.”
What striker wouldn’t like Ronaldo?
Smiling widely, I continued.
“If you join our club, Ronaldo will personally tutor you. But for a while, you won’t be able to start imdiately. I want to make you a legendary striker of Leeds. That ans I want you to train and polish yourself properly. Don’t take it the wrong way.”
“...Tutor?”
For the first ti, Rooney’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. I’ll even put it in the contract. A clause requiring at least one tutoring session per week with Ronaldo—so long as he doesn’t retire or transfer.”
“Is that even possible? United never said anything like that...”
Of course United had good strikers too. But they all had too much pride to tutor a teenager.
But I had already reached a private agreent with Ronaldo.
And that agreent was simple. I just paid him an absurdly high amount as a tutoring fee—so high it shocked even Ronaldo.
“I don’t know what conditions United offered. I think you want to join that team because of the manager.”
“How did you know? Sir Ferguson said he wanted to raise himself. For players like us, Sir Ferguson is a legend.”
How did I know? Rooney himself said in an interview that Ferguson was the biggest reason he wanted to go to United.
When players choose teams, it’s not only about how strong the team is—managers matter just as much.
Ferguson raised nurous young players into world-class stars—Fergie’s Fledglings.
Rooney knew that, which is why being chosen by Ferguson felt so good.
“But will Ronaldo really tutor ?”
I nodded at Rooney’s innocent question.
“Yes. I already received confirmation from him. If you co to our team, he’ll make ti outside regular training to work with you personally.”
“....”
Rooney glanced once toward the door where his agent had disappeared.
“I don’t know if Uncle Paul will allow that...”
“An agent ultimately negotiates based on the player’s wishes. A player has no reason to fear his agent.”
“But... he’s the one who discovered my talent when I was young. So...”
As I thought earlier, he really was still a kid. Seventeen, wasn’t it?
He didn’t look young on the outside, but his behavior was exactly that of soone his age.
“Football is now a battlefield of big business. More than you know. There are secret negotiations everywhere, and dirty things happen constantly. Don’t hand everything over to your agent, Rooney. He can send you to a club you don’t even want.”
Rooney’s eyes widened at my firm tone. But soon he gave a small laugh.
“No way. Paul wouldn’t do that.”
“Then let give you an easy example. Suppose your agent and the club managent decide a transfer you don’t want. If the club is at least in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, or the Bundesliga, that’s still okay.”
Rooney nodded.
“But what if it’s a random club in China? Or even without going that far—what if it’s a Russian club? What if you end up moving sowhere like that just for money? Your talent would disappear there.”
“No way... would sothing like that actually happen?”
“It happens all the ti. Look it up.”
It happened frequently. European players were safer, but South Arican players suffered constantly.
Because of “third-party ownership,” players’ rights were divided like shares and sold to companies and individuals.
Players ended up being moved around purely for money, regardless of their will, until they were washed up in second-tier leagues.
Many South Arican players lost their talent that way.
“Of course we don’t know if that will happen to you. I’m saying this because I respect your talent—even if you don’t choose our team. High transfer fees? Those co naturally if you play well.”
“...You must think highly of my talent.”
“You were selected for the England national team for the first ti earlier this year, right?”
Rooney nodded softly.
I was practically telling him you’re good enough to build a team around, and a young player couldn’t possibly remain unmoved.
With polite sincerity, I spoke with conviction:
“I believe you can grow into the legendary striker who scores the most goals in England’s national team history.”
“....”
“Don’t waste that talent elsewhere. Stay with our team all the way to retirent. Leeds United is no less of a prestigious club than Manchester United. It only staggered because of reckless managent. Now that I own it, the club won’t collapse for financial reasons ever again.”
Rooney gazed at with bright, eager eyes.
“And I’m not trying to sign you cheaply. A player’s value is reflected in the transfer fee.”
“Money cos later. I want to go to a team where I can grow and where I can play.”
His voice carried deep passion.
“Our team has both Champions League and league matches. And the FA Cup. You’ll get plenty of gas as a starter. Of course, that promise ca from Manager Hiddink, not from .”
“Manager Hiddink?”
“He planned to join today, but sothing urgent ca up and he had to fly to the Netherlands.”
“Ah...”
Rooney let out a small sigh. Understandable—Hiddink was a legendary manager on par with Ferguson.
Maybe I should emphasize this part.
“Coach Hiddink told this: even if he had to give up ten other players, he’d still want to bring you. That’s why I, the owner, ca here personally.”
“...Did he really say that?”
“Yes. And I also knew your talent already.”
Rooney’s mouth dropped open in awe. He was quite moved.
“Wow... even /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Ferguson never said sothing like that...”
“That just shows how much Hiddink wants to develop you.”
At that mont, Ellen and the agent reentered the room.
“So co to our team.”
Leaving those final words with Rooney, I turned toward Ellen.
Ellen shook her head, frowning. Negotiations must not have gone well.
“Give us a mont to talk.”
I stepped outside with Ellen. She sighed the mont the door closed behind us.
“How did it go?”
“He’s demanding 150,000 pounds per week. That’s absurd. Giving that to such a young player would completely destroy our wage structure.”
Looking worried, Ellen stared at .
I lightly patted his shoulder, calming him.
“We were planning to offer eighty thousand, right?”
“Yes. But with all the optional clauses activated, it reaches around 100,000 to 120,000 per week. Even that is insane... but...”
“Hmm. 150,000...”
We could afford it.
But signing such a young player at that wage ant we’d have to renegotiate higher wages with our current players. That made no sense.
“And beyond that, he asked for extra money for himself. Said he’d lower the transfer fee in return.”
“Acting like a total thug.”
“What will you do? Do we really need to sign him? No matter how much the manager wants him, if we keep getting dragged around by a player, things could go bad again like before.”
Rembering bad mories, Ellen’s expression darkened further.
“Rooney showed strong interest in being trained by Ronaldo. If we push that angle, he might co. We can’t let a talent like him slip away because of an agent’s greed. Let’s go.”
We reentered the room—but the atmosphere was strange.
“Paul. I want to go to Leeds.”
“No... Rooney. You’re still too young—”
“I’m seventeen now. I’m not a little kid. So send to Leeds.”
“At least let talk again with United—”
When we walked in, Paul glared at . I smiled in response.
Sitting down again, I said to Paul:
“You said 150,000 per week? Did you really think that was possible? Does United pay him that much?”
“Is it wrong to ask for sothing that gives him a reason to choose Leeds over United?”
“A reason, huh. A player’s value is recognized through the transfer fee. Wages co later.”
“That benefits the club, not and Rooney. I work for Rooney’s best interest.”
What a polished way of speaking—‘for the player.’
Smiling softly, but with a cold tone, I asked:
“Really? You’re a good agent then. So—how much did United promise to give you under the table?”
“...What? What are you talking about?”
“You told Ellen to slip you money, didn’t you? Said you’d lower the transfer fee in negotiations with Everton. You want the amount you lower it by? For what reason? Is that for Rooney’s benefit, or yours?”
Paul looked at Rooney and tried to explain.
“N-No, Rooney. You trust , right? That’s all nonsense.”
But Rooney’s eyes were filled with contempt.
He was rembering exactly what I told him earlier.
“Paul... did you really do that?”
“I can explain everything. Just wait—”
Paul looked at while speaking, still acting like he held the advantage.
“Hey! How can you say such things in front of a kid? Rooney is not going to Leeds. I don’t care what wages you offer. Let’s go, Rooney.”
But Rooney didn’t stand up. He kept staring at Paul with cold, contemptuous eyes and said icily:
“Uncle Paul. Thanks for everything until now.
You’re fired.”
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