Upon receiving the talent of an exceptional genius, Deng Kai really couldn't hold back any longer.
He dragged Ronaldo out to train every day.
This feeling was just like when you finally get the sneakers you've struggled to snag, even if you've just come back from the court exhausted like a dog, you still want to put them on right away and immerse yourself in that sensation again.
The agony of a preeminent talent, how could you group of extraordinary geniuses understand!
Luckily, Ronaldo himself was a training maniac.
The moment he heard Deng Kai's request, he simply couldn't refuse.
The two were like sleepyheads who found pillows, and soon became the talk of the Alcochete Training Centre.
Even the head coach knew that two training monsters had come to the youth training center, insisting that the management provide them with certificates for extra training.
For this reason, Furys, the old groundskeeper of the training center, was so angry he was puffing out his beard and glaring.
His time to return home was greatly delayed by these two little brats.
This damn overtime!
Speaking of training, though everyone trains, the real effect of training is different for each person.
Not to mention the influence of talent.
For a normal player doing dribbling drills around poles, it's all just going through the motions.
Neither their bodies nor their minds are really engaged in the training.
At most, it's just "passive warm-up."
This is the most basic function of training.
Players who train in this mode for a long time progress very slowly, merely relying on their physical and technical talent.
Their growth has nothing to do with training.
Most young players actually fall into this category.
Then there's another type that takes training very seriously, training rigorously according to the rules, never slacking off where effort is due.
Training can now bring additional benefits to their physical and technical attributes.
But such people are rare.
Because... during class-wide exercises, the children who do them very precisely often get laughed at by everyone.
During that period, children still cherish the naive belief of "I don't need to try hard, but I can be amazing."
This makes it necessary for the few who want to work hard to have a strong mental fortitude and unwavering determination.
Of course, being precise in movement is not the same as having particularly large movements.
Some people have large gestures in their exercises, but they don't exert force, the real training effect is minimal, they're just for show.
The third type builds upon the second, pursuing speed and completion.
They are not just training to the standard, but beyond the standard.
Every touch of the ball, they strive for precision.
Every dribble around a pole, they aim to be faster.
Every training session, they give their all as if there really are defenders chasing them.
This training attitude can almost maximize the effectiveness of training, offering the player the highest and fastest growth.
Ronaldo falls into this category.
His technical talent may not be as strong as other top players, but his training attitude has converted a hundred percent of his potential, which is very rare.
So what category does Deng Kai fall into?
The fourth!
...
"Ronaldo, haven't you noticed that your performance can't improve anymore?" Deng Kai said, checking the stopwatch, "Your time dribbling around poles has been stuck at twelve seconds and thirty-five for three days now."
"No one under U16 has a better score than this."
Ronaldo nodded, "I know, that's normal, my competitor has always been myself, I am confident that I can break this record."
Deng Kai shook his head wordlessly, "Substance is the basis, you have to believe in science. Do you know what stability means? It means you've reached the current limit of your body."
"To make a breakthrough, your body needs to grow further. But this takes time."
"Before that, there's not much point in continuing to train on this task, you just need to maintain the state of this exercise."
"Human energy is limited, you should focus your energy on other projects now."
"For instance, the third time you circled the pole."
That time, Ronaldo's performance showed a rare fluctuation, taking a bit more time.
Ronaldo explained, "That time, the football bounced off the uneven turf and rolled away, so I had to chase it down, which is why it took me a little longer."
Deng Kai waved his hand, "I'm not talking about that. What I mean is, at that time, did you have no other solution but to hook the football back with your right foot?"
Ronaldo was taken aback.
Maxa and Trigella, who stopped training to check on Ronaldo and Deng Kai, were also startled.
"Why not use your left foot to pull the ball back, a Marseille Turn might have saved the ball just as well, and you wouldn't have needed to awkwardly hook it back with your right foot before moving right and then turning left?"
Deng Kai's meaning was simple.
On the basis of having solid fundamentals, Ronaldo could start undertaking creative training.
Arising from training, yet surpassing training.
Dribbling and beating players aren't about learning one or two moves.
Overall, controlling the ball isn't any technical move; it's a habit, a logic, a way of thinking!
Two players who know all the technical moves, when faced with pressure, some will always only pass, only use their body to shield and make a clumsy turn.
Others can agilely deceive and shake off opponents with various moves, leaving them like wooden stakes.
This is where everyone's dribbling logic differs.
It relates to the player's own character and thoughts.
And with the player's training environment.
In Germany's industrial assembly line of youth training, there's no shortage of workmanlike players, but geniuses are rare.
In the freer Latin-style youth training, players may lack execution, but they have the essential qualities a superstar needs—unbounded imagination and the courage to try!
In his previous life, did Ronaldo reach the pinnacle of football?
Yes!
But was there still room for improvement?
Deng Kai believed there was!
So, under "Coach Deng's" guidance, the young Ronaldo began advanced training.
"Ahem!" Trigella walked over, interrupting their practice session, and asked curiously, "Why do you call Chris 'Ronaldo'?"
Deng Kai replied, "Otherwise what? Call him Noronaldo? At least at this stage, that won't do; no one would think I'm referring to him. Aside from inviting ridicule and doubt, I can't think of anything else that name would bring him."
Ronaldo was rather speechless.
But it was true. When Andoya had been looking for trouble, he had called out "Portugal's Ronaldo."
"But calling him Chris, sorry... though it's an affectionate nickname, I don't think Ronaldo needs to change or deliberately hide anything because of Ronaldo's existence."
"C. Ronaldo has his own personal flair and doesn't completely give up on the name Ronaldo. Not arrogant and not low-key, I think it suits him. The basketball world is quite into this trend of abbreviated names, what do you think?"
After hearing this, Ronaldo nodded repeatedly, very much agreeing with Deng Kai's reasoning.
He also knew that a big part of the hostility he faced in the youth team was because he introduced himself as "Ronaldo."
But he didn't know how to solve this issue because he didn't feel that he should have to change his name.
And now, Deng Kai had resolved this problem for him!
He liked the nickname "Ronaldo."
He certainly wasn't content with being just an ordinary Chris.
In return, Ronaldo said, "Kai, thank you. Then I'll call you 'K. D!' As you said, in the basketball world currently only superstars get their names abbreviated, like 'M. J!'"
Deng Kai was covered in sweat.
K. D?
What's the grudge?
I'm really grateful!
Is this sarcasm about me turning into a traitorous schoolbag Durant, or mocking me for going to drink Scarlett's bathwater?
If it weren't for the fact that he knew Ronaldo didn't yet know that a guy named Durant would exist in the future, Deng Kai would have slapped him. He shook his head and said, "Just call me Kai. I like the name; it hasn't clashed with any superstar."
"Caesar isn't bad either, although this name in Chinese is equivalent to Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Kangxi! But my future Chinese fans should like it."