As Melanie's due date approached, Millwall's preseason training days were also drawing near. Aldrich would be absent for a while during the summer training camp.
The club's CEO, Adam, arrived in Liverpool to meet Aldrich, his face full of regret.
"Boss, I'm sorry, I couldn't convince them to stay."
Adam felt both angry and frustrated about the departures of Ferdinand and the others.
Since June, he had focused on keeping Ferdinand, Duff, and Mills, but after more than a month of efforts, he had seen no results.
Aldrich warmly welcomed Adam in his living room. Despite her pregnancy, Melanie maintained the demeanor of a gracious host. Both of them enjoyed this ambiance, making them feel like an ordinary couple with a home.
"Don't worry about it. Our terms couldn't compete with Leeds United. It's only natural for them to choose better contracts," Aldrich replied, no longer wanting to dwell on why Ferdinand, Duff, and Mills were set on leaving.
Perhaps it was for more money, or perhaps they didn't want to be substitutes at Millwall.
Whatever the case, let them go. It didn't matter.
"Boss, we need to decide on our summer preparation plans."
Adam set aside his gloomy thoughts and shifted the conversation to the main topic.
"Right. Apologize to Inter Milan, Ajax, and Borussia Dortmund that the plan we discussed last year is temporarily canceled, but it can be revisited in the future. Also, contact Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Bayer Leverkusen, and Genk, and invite them to London for preseason friendlies. We could offer a more favorable ticket split. We'll be moving into the new stadium next summer, so let's arrange as many matches at The Den as we can—the fans still have a strong attachment to the old stadium."
Aldrich's every word was etched into Adam's memory.
In fact, last year at the G14 summit, Aldrich had proposed an idea to some football heavyweights: that European clubs band together to play preseason friendlies in other continents. He had arranged to tour North America this summer with Inter Milan, Ajax, and Borussia Dortmund. While it might not yield immediate market effects, it was beneficial to establish a fan base and gain some publicity for the future.
Before football fully entered the capital era, outdated concepts and hypocritical arrogance still loomed over many elite clubs. They believed Europe was the center of the football world, representing the pinnacle of this domain. At the club level, they rarely initiated brand promotions unless invited by less developed countries or regions, and even when others invited them, they demanded exorbitant appearance fees, often scaring sponsors or organizers away. This mindset caused many well-performing but not quite elite clubs to lag behind their similarly-sized competitors in media consultation development, particularly in market share and global recognition. It was only ten years later, when that gap manifested in commercial revenues, that many elites began to catch up in their global strategies.
Millwall had always paid attention to international promotion. Take the United States, for example: Americans might not care much for football, as it doesn't even rank in the top five sports there. Yet, there are football fans in the U.S. Among this group, which club is their favorite? Millwall! Why? Because when it comes to football-related sites on the American internet, it's only Millwall that promotes itself; other teams mostly rely on sports brands like Nike and Adidas, using star players in their advertisements to attract fans.
Thanks to Millwall's recent commercial developments, other elite clubs were eager to test out such business proposals. Aldrich didn't want to turn preseason matches on other continents into a solo act; last year's tour in Asia was almost just a string of easy wins, generating very limited influence. If they teamed up with a few big clubs, however, the publicity, impact, and attention would be on a whole different level. The pie is too big for one person to finish alone.
But now Aldrich was tied up, and the preseason plans had to change.
"Boss, what about the club's summer recruitment plans?"
Adam was particularly concerned about the building of the squad. His only critique in the industry was that he didn't seem much like a football manager, but more like a simple businessman.
It wasn't that he didn't want to get involved in team construction; it was just that Aldrich had total control over player signings and transfers. Adam wanted to scout for new talent, but what good would it do? It would be a waste of time.
"No need to worry. I've already spoken to the club's negotiation team; they've started working. What I want to discuss with you is something else."
Aldrich and Adam had a detailed conversation in the living room for the whole afternoon.
Three days later, Millwall announced that The Den would undergo a small-scale renovation after they moved to the new stadium, serving as the match ground for youth and reserve teams, and wouldn't be abandoned or sold off for other uses.
This announcement thrilled the devoted fans of The Lions, especially the local supporters, who applauded the club's decision.
They still held affection for the old stadium. Even though the club was now well-known across Europe and had achieved numerous honors, The Den represented their past—a part of the club's history and the fans' memories that could not be erased.
Aldrich hadn't previously thought about how to handle The Den. He had considered following Arsenal's example by turning Highbury into a residential area after moving to the Emirates, but that had seemed to cost over a hundred million pounds.
Now with ample funds at hand, Aldrich hoped to preserve Millwall's historical structure intact, ensuring a legacy that both fans and visitors could explore years down the line. In ten, twenty, or even fifty years, they would be able to walk through these buildings, trace the past, and appreciate the club's culture in a fuller context.
At the same time, Millwall was building new football schools in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, each offering ten free spots for aspiring players each year. During summer trials, the ten most outstanding young talents would be rewarded.
This initiative not only expanded the club's recruitment channels but also promoted Millwall's brand. Building these football schools required more coaches, but not all coaches met Millwall's standards. That's why the coaching manuals Aldrich created last year became a necessity for training coaches at the club. Millwall aimed not only to develop excellent young players annually but also to nurture numerous future coaches, ensuring they would all play vital roles in the club's global expansion plans.
Fleet Street was astonished at Millwall's bold moves.
David Miller jokingly wrote in a column: "Some spend a fortune just to build a cozy home, while Hall wants to construct a skyscraper."
... ...
In Lille, France, a boy with a scarred face walked out of the youth academy, his bag slung over his shoulder as he glanced back reluctantly at the academy's sign.
He had been cast aside.
After spending three years at this academy, he was now just a "discarded child" at the age of 16.
He wandered aimlessly down the street, unsure of where to go. Perhaps it was time to return home and start over.
As he turned a corner, a luxurious car pulled to a stop in front of him. A young man in a tailored suit stepped out, blocking his path.
Instinctively, the boy stepped aside, not bothering to lift his head to look at the stranger.
"Hi, Frank. Can we chat for a bit?"
The scar-faced boy looked up in surprise, puzzled about how this well-dressed young man knew him.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Clayton, and I work for Millwall Football Club in England. We've had our eye on you for a while now, and we'd like to extend an invitation. If you're willing, you can come with me to London right now. The club's head coach, Mr. Hall, said you wouldn't need to trial; you can go straight into the youth team."
The boy was shocked into silence.
He had just been rejected by Lille's academy, and not five minutes out the door, a club that had enjoyed four years of unrivaled success in Europe was inviting him to join?!
Was this some kind of joke?
"Frank, oh maybe I was too forward—Ribery, can we find a place to sit and talk? If you want your family to be here, you can call them right now. You can also check Millwall's official website to verify who I am. Just find a computer and log in to Millwall's official site to get the club's contact details. That won't be fake. If you're still uncertain, we can contact someone in France that you trust. For example, the new head coach at Lille, Halilhodzic. Mr. Hall is an old friend of his, but he specifically asked that we try not to involve Mr. Halilhodzic too much, or else Lille might block your departure."
Young Clayton was taking the lead for the first time in persuading a player to join the club, and he absolutely didn't want to mess it up. He revealed all his cards right from the start.
If Aldrich had been there, he would surely have given him a tongue-lashing.
By saying this, if 16-year-old Ribery was savvy enough and didn't want to leave France, he could easily go to Halilhodzic and tell him: "Millwall wants me. Does Lille even want me anymore?"
Having watched the European Championship together with Aldrich in 1996, Halilhodzic had occasionally chatted with him over the phone in recent years, especially when he brought his team to France. They were old friends, maintaining contact as part of normal social interaction.
Given that Halilhodzic had just taken charge of Lille, which was in the lower leagues, his focus likely hadn't yet extended to the youth academy. If he learned that Millwall was making a move for Ribery, he would surely want to keep him and prioritize his development.
Luckily, 16-year-old Ribery wasn't that cunning. Ecstatic, he followed Clayton to a nearby café to get more information about joining Millwall.
Ribery was concerned about the money. He couldn't afford the costs of going abroad to play, but Millwall would offer him a professional contract. The advantages of English football became immediately clear. While he might not make big bucks in London, he wouldn't have to worry about basic needs and could grow in a better environment.
Clayton felt a sense of relief as the recruitment pitch for Ribery finally didn't fall apart on him.
Two days later, he returned to London with Ribery. The club's CEO, Adam, personally signed a contract with Ribery, capturing a commemorative photo, and then Ribery joined the youth team.