Chapter 125 Ecstasy

The remaining minute felt like an eternity. When the referee finally blew the whistle to end the match, Liverpool fans erupted with uncontainable excitement.

Outside Old Trafford, the joyous cheers of twenty thousand Liverpool fans echoed first, followed by the unrestrained celebrations of three thousand Liverpool fans inside the stadium. They didn't care if their voices could be heard by the Liverpool players; the game was over, and the team no longer needed their cheers. They were simply expressing their inner excitement, and they didn't need anyone else to know.

Hatson's voice traveled through the airwaves, reaching the ears and hearts of every Liverpool fan listening to the radio.

"The game is over! Liverpool has defeated Manchester United 4-3 on their home turf! This game practically seals Liverpool's title victory in advance! With a six-point lead, Liverpool only needs to win their next league match at home against Blackburn to become the Premier League champions! A twenty-two-year-long dream is finally about to come true!"

By the end, Old Hatson's voice was even choked with emotion.

If someone could see his face, they would notice that Hatson's voice wasn't the only thing choked up; his eyes were already turning red, with tears glistening within.

He wasn't alone; all Liverpool fans felt like crying at that moment.

It wasn't just the Liverpool fans; even the Liverpool players couldn't help but shed tears on the field...

After the game, Chen Hero didn't raise his arms and celebrate the victory. He found Carragher in the crowd of celebrating people, then hugged him tightly and said in his ear, "I told you I'd give you a league title, Vice-Captain! I keep my word!"

Carragher's tears flowed instantly.

He didn't hide his emotions; at this moment, he just wanted to cry his heart out.

He joined Liverpool's first team in 1996, only four seasons after the Premier League began. Now, twenty-one seasons later, he was still a Liverpool player, having experienced seventeen seasons. He never expected to win a league title in his upcoming retirement season.

He had experienced that kind of emotional journey—at first, the Liverpool players thought that the league title was within easy reach, and they could grab it whenever they wanted. Later, they gradually realized that the Premier League seemed different from the old English First Division. They could dominate in the English First Division, but their approach didn't work in the Premier League. Then, continuous failures and despair gradually accumulated. Liverpool could win five titles in a season, but they were always missing a league title. Finally, there was complete despair; the Liverpool team no longer considered the league title as a goal to strive for, but instead felt that qualifying for the Champions League by finishing in the top four was a success.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to retire, Liverpool rekindled their desire for the league title...

As Chen Hero hugged him and said those words, his mind flashed back to the ups and downs of his twenty-five seasons at Liverpool. Many people had traveled this road with him, and like him, they had once dreamed of a league title. But they had all failed, getting off the bus halfway and staying at that station forever. He had persevered with his love for Liverpool, and unexpectedly, he was rewarded with a surprise at the finish line.

Was this truly a gift from God for his loyalty?

No.

Carragher felt that if this was a gift from God, then wasn't this teammate in front of him God's agent on earth?

That thought was too crazy. He preferred to believe that this was a reward for his and his teammates' hard work.

"Thank you, Hero..." he said, choking with emotion.

"You're welcome, Vice-Captain!" Chen Hero patted Carragher on the back.

※※※

Gerrard didn't go up and hug Chen Hero and the others. He stood in place with his hands on his hips, looking up at the sky. He did this because he didn't want others to see him with a face full of tears—it really didn't look good and would damage his captain's image...

At the moment the final whistle blew, he thought of his cousin, Jon-Paul Gilhooley.

In the deeply affecting Hillsborough disaster of 1989, his cousin Jon-Paul was the youngest of the ninety-six victims.

And Jon-Paul's accident also prompted Gerrard to become a professional player. He still remembered what his cousin's parents had said to him when he made his first appearance for Liverpool: "Gilhooley would be proud of you, Stephen."

Recalling the past, when his cousin's parents said this to him, the expression on their faces... his tears flowed uncontrollably. Perhaps they saw their deceased son in him?

He loved Liverpool so much. He often played soccer on the street in front of my house, wearing a Liverpool jersey with pride. The Liverpool club meant everything to him. It was because he loved Liverpool so much that he drove seventy miles to Sheffield to watch the FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest... Now that Liverpool had finally won the Premier League title, he didn't know how excited he would be.

Gerrard looked up at the sky of Old Trafford. The twilight sunset dyed the entire western sky golden, and in that cloud, he seemed to see his cousin, smiling at him.

He was wearing a red Liverpool jersey, and he said to his cousin, "Well done, Stephen! Well done!"

Gerrard raised his hand and touched his left chest, where both the Liverpool team badge and his own heart were beating.

I'm fighting for you, brother. I hope you like this championship!

※※※

When Gerrard looked down again, he wiped the tears from his face and saw Chen Hero walking toward him with Gerrard in his arms.

He greeted them.

Carragher said to Gerrard, "Now I can retire in peace, Stephen. But one league title doesn't mean anything."

Gerrard nodded: "I understand, there is still a long way to go!"

Carragher laughed, he stretched out his hand, and Gerrard understood and put his hand on it. Then the two turned to look at Chen Hero at the same time.

Chen Hero also put his hand on it.

Carragher then put his other hand on Chen Hero's hand and pressed it down hard: "Please!"

※※※

Chen Hero was quickly pulled away by reporters. As the best player in this game, he was naturally a popular target. Only Carragher and Gerrard were left behind.

Looking at Chen Hero surrounded by reporters, Carragher pretended to be angry and said, "Every time I see Chen Hero, I feel that I should indeed retire... Look at the two of us old guys, no one is interested anymore. The reporters only look for him, not us."

Gerrard said nothing, just smiled.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Chen Hero was full of hope.

※※※

Chen Hero was surrounded by reporters, receiving all kinds of questions, but he only needed to answer one word...

"You scored a hat trick at Old Trafford, Hero, what are your thoughts?"

"Awesome!"

"You defeated Manchester United on their home field and gained the initiative to compete for the championship, Hero, how do you feel?"

"Awesome!"

"You are about to win the league title since the establishment of the Premier League, what are your thoughts?"

"Awesome!"

"..." The reporters stopped asking questions. No matter what they asked, it was estimated that this guy would only say one word—awesome!

※※※

Chen Hero felt great, but Manchester United coach Ferguson felt very bad.

At the post-match press conference, a reporter asked him how he felt about losing to Liverpool at home and sending the opponent to the championship throne. His answer was very impolite.

"It's just a championship." He shrugged, looking nonchalant. "We have fourteen Premier League titles, while Liverpool only has one. I think this can explain the problem."

Regarding Ferguson's question, Martin O'Neill answered at the later press conference: "Yes, we are far behind in the Premier League titles. History belongs to Manchester United, and the future belongs to us, Liverpool."

Although the game between the two sides has ended, the competition between them will not stop because of this, so the war of words cannot stop for a moment. Martin O'Neill did this because he was the coach of Liverpool. Since he is the coach of Liverpool, he must regard Manchester United as his biggest enemy, and he must not give Liverpool a good look in any occasion.

Not only did he do this, but his predecessors, those colorful Liverpool coaches, all followed this rule. Liverpool and Manchester United have not had any direct transfer transactions in fifty years. Every newly appointed Liverpool coach will receive such advice—do not sell your players to Manchester United!

At the same time, it is the same on Manchester United's side. Back then, Manchester United defender Heinze insisted on transferring to Liverpool, but Ferguson refused to let him go, and finally sold him to Real Madrid at a low price, rather than earning Liverpool's money. The hatred between the two sides is also reflected in the famous football management game fm—in fm2008, Manchester United added Heinze to the list of people they hate...

Therefore, no one felt that it was wrong for Martin O'Neill and Ferguson to be so at odds. On the contrary, everyone felt that it was very normal—Liverpool and Manchester United should be like this!

It would be abnormal if the two were on good terms...

※※※

When the entire Liverpool team left Old Trafford by bus, they were warmly sent off by the 20,000 Liverpool fans gathered outside.

They sang the team song, waved the scarves and jerseys in their hands, and shouted non-stop: "Champions! Champions! We are the champions!"

They were heavily surrounded by the police, and Manchester United fans could not get close.

However, at this time, the frustrated Manchester United fans were not in the mood to cause trouble for them. They had already left the stadium—they didn't want to watch their mortal enemy celebrate the championship and victory under their noses, which would undoubtedly pour salt on their wounds.

The Sky TV reporter used the Liverpool fans who were sending off the Liverpool bus as the background to end the report on today's game.

"The Liverpool people went home with their longing for the championship, leaving the Manchester United people to lick their wounds. This is really a passionate afternoon. When you finish watching such a game, how can you not fall in love with this league? It is our Premier League's luck to have such two teams! Thank you to both sides for contributing such a wonderful game to us. I am Smith, a reporter from Sky TV, reporting live from Old Trafford..."