New Manchester United's academy had existed for only four years, yet it had already earned a considerable reputation throughout England, and not solely because of Curtis.
Even the weakest academy could occasionally produce one or two promising youngsters. The difference was that New Manchester United had developed an entire group of them.
Many Red Rebels supporters now followed the academy teams with almost as much enthusiasm as the first team. Their passion for the young players was no less intense, and some younger fans had even begun to idolise members of the academy.
Most of these young players lived with local host families, strengthening the bond between the club and its supporters while also helping the players develop a sense of identity and belonging.
New Manchester United had previously worked with Manchester United, Liverpool, Leeds United, and several other clubs to establish a youth league in North West England.
The competition had significantly increased the number of matches available to the academy sides of more than a dozen professional clubs in the region.
Attendances had also risen, with many supporters even travelling to away fixtures.
Since the North West youth league contained only three age groups, Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell, who had both joined New Manchester United that season, were placed in the Under-12 side.
Micah Richards was promoted to the Under-14s, while Davide Santon, whom New Manchester United had recruited from Italy, joined the Under-12s.
Theo Walcott had already earned a certain amount of recognition within English football.
After politely declining offers from Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Southampton, he chose to join New Manchester United, where the coaching staff regarded him highly.
Following an assessment, the club decided that Walcott would play for the Under-14s.
He was clearly outstanding among players of his own age, but he possessed a weakness common among many young English footballers: his technical foundations lacked refinement.
In recent years, the FA had repeatedly called for improvements to academy football.
One of the most important issues was the need to train properly qualified youth coaches.
At many clubs, academy positions were filled by former players after retirement, but those individuals were not always sufficiently qualified for the role.
Players below the age of 15 needed focused technical development.
English footballers were often criticised for lacking technique because they did not receive enough detailed coaching during those crucial early years.
By the time they reached adulthood, many of their technical habits had already become fixed.
New Manchester United's academy operated differently.
From the beginning, it focused on developing individual technique, encouraged improvisation, and attempted to unlock as much creativity and technical potential as possible.
Even when players made mistakes that cost the team a match, the coaching staff did not reprimand them.
Instead, they offered encouragement and support.
As a result, moments of individual brilliance frequently appeared in academy matches.
Put simply, academy football was not about results.
The first team was where results mattered.
The academy should be a proving ground where young players were given as many opportunities as possible to make mistakes, explore their abilities, and express themselves freely.
Over time, they would gradually learn what worked, what did not, and which decisions were appropriate in different situations.
At many English academies, however, that creativity was suppressed.
Although Walcott was exceptionally talented, his technique did not yet meet New Manchester United's standards.
Meulensteen therefore designed an individual development programme to address his weaknesses.
Walcott was only 11 years old, which meant there was still plenty of time for him to improve.
Talent could be developed, but it required careful guidance.
No one was born as Cristiano Ronaldo.
New Manchester United also invested heavily in its academy.
In addition to providing the youth teams with professional medical staff, physiotherapists, and other support personnel, Ethan assigned a qualified coach to every age group.
Professional academy coaches remained relatively scarce in England, but under the guidance of Moniz and Meulensteen, De Rossi Sr., Palacio Sr., Darren Lyons, Karl Marginson, and Gareth Turner had all earned professional youth coaching qualifications.
The latter three were also working towards more advanced coaching licences.
All of them understood New Manchester United's academy system and the philosophy behind its youth development programme.
They followed one central principle.
Before the age of 15, the focus remained on maximising individual technique.
Only after that would the players begin receiving more detailed instruction in positional play and tactics.
As the Newton Heath training complex continued to improve, the existing pitches were upgraded and a new indoor football arena was constructed.
It quickly became one of the most popular facilities at Newton Heath.
With the support of the club and coaching staff, the indoor football league developed into a traditional internal competition in which even academy players could participate.
The club's laboratory also expanded its staff.
It began including physical assessments of every adolescent player who joined the academy within its regular workload.
This was a major undertaking and required a dedicated team to manage the examinations.
The Red Rebel Foundation also established a specialist support service for players from struggling families.
Regardless of a youngster's ability or personal circumstances, once he joined New Manchester United's academy, the club would step in to help if his family encountered serious difficulties.
New Manchester United's global scouting network was also expanded as widely as possible.
The club began searching for talented young players throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and beyond.
...
"Good afternoon, Mr de Meuron."
Besides handling academy matters, Ethan had recently been occupied with sponsorship negotiations.
More importantly, he needed to devote serious attention to the new stadium, which would be crucial to New Manchester United's future.
Ethan could make his own decisions regarding the land, but the stadium's design required genuine specialists.
Only a handful of architects had left a strong impression on him in his previous life.
Among them were Jacques Herzog, one of the designers of Beijing's Bird's Nest, and his partner, Pierre de Meuron.
The work of the two Swiss architects had always fascinated him.
"Good afternoon, Mr Yu."
Herzog and de Meuron were both in their early forties and at the height of their careers.
Judging solely by their understated clothing and appearance, few would have guessed that they had designed so many remarkable buildings.
Besides the Bird's Nest, they had created numerous acclaimed projects and enjoyed considerable recognition throughout Europe and the wider world.
The previous year, they had also received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
Herzog & de Meuron operated offices across Europe, including one in London.
They had previously redesigned the Tate Modern in London, a project that received widespread acclaim.
"I came to London specifically to meet you because I would like your firm to design a football stadium for me," Ethan said directly.
De Meuron had already suspected that Ethan wanted to commission an architectural project.
Otherwise, there would have been little reason to approach them personally.
"What capacity do you have in mind, Mr Yu?"
"Between 30,000 and 40,000, although I want the design to allow for future expansion.
"I would also like you to plan the surrounding land.
"Audi intends to build its flagship UK dealership nearby, and I want all these elements integrated into a single development."
This formed part of New Manchester United's new partnership with Audi.
The company would lease the plot beside the crossroads from the club and construct its largest flagship dealership in Britain.
New Manchester United also intended to incorporate the other three available plots and the stadium car park into the overall development plan.
Across the road stood a Walmart supermarket and a planned commercial district.
Ethan saw no conflict in that.
New Manchester United would place the stadium at the centre of its own development and transform the surrounding land into another prosperous commercial area.
Several major companies had already expressed interest in leasing the remaining three plots, but the club was in no hurry to finalise any agreements.
"So you want us to create a comprehensive plan for the entire district?" de Meuron asked, immediately interested.
"Exactly.
"I want the stadium to serve as the centre of a thriving area combining retail, leisure, tourism, and other commercial functions.
"Manchester's planned commercial district will also be located directly opposite us."
"In that case, we would need to inspect the site personally," de Meuron replied with a smile.
"However, we do have an existing stadium concept that may interest you, Mr Yu," Herzog said.
Herzog clearly regarded Ethan's visit seriously.
He opened his laptop, searched through several folders, and displayed a series of design drawings.
"This is a concept we recently developed for a stadium design competition in Munich.
"We have never designed a football stadium before, so we do not yet possess much direct experience in that field," Herzog admitted honestly.
Ethan leaned closer and immediately recognised the design.
It was the Allianz Arena from his previous life.
The drawings were still somewhat rough, but the exterior form and overall concept were unmistakable.
A complete set of more detailed plans appeared beneath the initial images, although for some reason, the architects had not yet submitted the design for the competition.
"It is extremely distinctive," Ethan said.
"The stadium's form is bold and unconventional, particularly the illuminated membrane covering the exterior.
"That feature would make it instantly recognisable.
"However, judging by the design, I imagine the construction costs would be substantial."
Herzog smiled.
"According to our initial calculations, a stadium with a capacity between 30,000 and 40,000, together with the wider planning and development of the surrounding land, would require a budget of at least £250 million.
"And that is only a preliminary estimate."
"Money will not be the deciding issue," Ethan replied.
"Let us use this concept as the foundation.
"You can inspect the site, develop a complete proposal, and prepare a detailed design.
"Once that is ready, we can discuss everything properly. How does that sound?"
Neither architect objected, and the agreement was quickly reached.
In his previous life, Ethan had always admired the Allianz Arena.
He had never expected to discover that Herzog and de Meuron had not yet submitted the design for the Munich competition.
Naturally, he had no intention of allowing the opportunity to escape.
The Allianz Arena would eventually be praised as one of the most distinctive and imaginative stadiums in the world.
If New Manchester United secured the design, people could compare it with Old Trafford and decide for themselves which ground deserved to be called the true Theatre of Dreams.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)