As soon as the match at Old Trafford ended, the New Manchester United players headed straight for Manchester Royal Infirmary.
The hospital staff, understandably wary of allowing an entire squad of excited footballers anywhere near a newborn, stopped them outside the ward. The players were only allowed to look through the glass. Inside, Eva's parents and grandfather stayed beside her while she recovered from the birth, taking turns admiring the baby and laughing whenever he made the slightest movement.
Victoria and several of Eva's closest friends arrived not long afterwards, making the ward increasingly lively. Ethan eventually had no choice but to meet the players outside and thank them individually for coming.
"Oh, by the way," Beckham suddenly said. "You still haven't named my godson."
Ethan was still in such a good mood that he barely registered what Beckham had slipped into the sentence.
Walsh did.
So did Davey.
Several players and coaches turned towards Beckham at once.
The man had absolutely no shame.
Ethan had once mentioned that in his family it was common for a child to have godparents, and Walsh and Davey had both privately assumed they would be among the obvious candidates. Neither had expected Beckham to simply declare himself first.
"Your godson?" Walsh said indignantly.
Beckham ignored him completely. He caught Ethan by the arm and steered him a few steps away as though the matter had already been settled.
"We need a proper name," Beckham said. "Something with meaning."
Ethan nodded, still grinning.
Walsh followed them. "You're giving naming advice? Your sons are called Brooklyn and Romeo."
Beckham glanced back. "And what's wrong with those?"
"Nothing, apparently, if you're David Beckham."
"And your family names are better?"
Walsh immediately looked offended. "Those are traditional family names. You can insult me if you want, but leave generations of Walshes out of this."
That was enough to make Davey laugh despite himself.
Naming the boy soon became a group discussion. Ethan had no interest in choosing something purely because it sounded grand or suggested wealth. His son would hardly need a name intended to wish riches upon him; the family already had more than enough.
If Ethan had one hope, it was that the boy would grow up with the freedom to find his own path while still understanding what his family had built. Perhaps one day he would care about New Manchester United as deeply as Ethan did. Perhaps he would even carry the club forward.
After considering several possibilities, Ethan settled on a name that worked naturally with both sides of the family.
"Sean," he said at last. "Sean Yu."
Beckham repeated it once and nodded approvingly. Walsh and Davey agreed that it sounded right.
Ethan went back inside to discuss it with Eva and her family. They liked it as well, and the decision was made.
Sean Yu.
...
News of Ethan's son spread through the British media almost immediately.
Photographers camped around Manchester Royal Infirmary hoping for the first picture, but Ethan had no intention of allowing Eva or the baby to be turned into a public spectacle. Additional security was arranged around the ward, and reporters were kept well away from the family.
What Ethan could not prevent was the stream of friends who wanted to congratulate him.
Juninho Paulista was among the first to arrive. The Brazilian had been outstanding for Real Madrid that season and still maintained a close relationship with Ethan, so once he heard the news he travelled from Madrid to Manchester personally.
Hleb, Olić, Abidal, and several other former players followed.
Steve Bruce could not visit because Birmingham were preparing to face New Manchester United in the next league fixture, but he called Ethan and sounded genuinely delighted for him.
Berlusconi called.
Florentino called.
Ferguson called.
Keane called.
The calls kept coming, as did the visitors. Ethan found himself realising just how many friendships he had built without ever consciously keeping count.
Even Steve Jobs and several acquaintances in the United States rang to offer their congratulations. Within a day, Manchester Royal Infirmary had become a focal point for sections of the European media for no reason other than the fact that Ethan Yu's son had been born there.
Ethan appreciated the attention and goodwill, but he wanted Sean to grow up as normally as possible. He had no interest in raising a child who felt that every decision had to be made in front of cameras.
On the day Eva was discharged, New Manchester United hosted Benítez's Valencia in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final.
They won 2-0.
Beckham, whose status as Sean's godfather had somehow become accepted largely because nobody had stopped him quickly enough, was outstanding. He scored once and assisted another.
After his long-range goal, he ran straight towards the nearest television camera, lifted his shirt, and revealed an undershirt with two words written across it:
FOR SEAN.
Watching from home, Ethan and Eva both burst out laughing.
The two families had become extremely close, so Eva had no objection to Beckham taking the role so enthusiastically. If anything, she thought having another person determined to spoil their son was probably a good problem to have.
...
After beating Valencia, New Manchester United travelled to Birmingham.
Steve Bruce's side sat ninth in the Premier League and had already caused Mourinho serious problems in the reverse fixture. Bruce understood New Manchester United's off-the-ball movement better than most opposing managers, having been familiar with the club and its football for years.
Birmingham still had an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, so they approached the match believing even one point would be valuable.
Mourinho needed all three.
Arsenal had just won the North London derby against Tottenham. Despite conceding twice, Wenger's side fought back through goals from Henry, Pires, and Campbell to secure another victory and keep the pressure firmly on New Manchester United.
Before kick-off, Curtis and Evra warmly greeted Bruce and Krzynówek. The mood looked friendly enough.
Once the referee started the match, that disappeared.
Both sides competed fiercely, and Evra in particular flew into one challenge on Krzynówek that left the Birmingham winger on the turf.
Bruce had prepared his team to defend with numbers. Birmingham compressed the dangerous spaces, worked relentlessly without the ball, and used their numerical advantage around the penalty area to prevent New Manchester United's attackers from finding clean combinations.
Mourinho's side dominated possession but could not turn that control into a goal.
After half-time, Mourinho adjusted the tempo. New Manchester United attacked slightly less frantically but with greater precision, and the chances improved. Birmingham still refused to break.
By the 65th minute, Mourinho decided he needed something different.
He sent Lionel Messi to warm up.
Five minutes later, Messi replaced the exhausted Kaká. The Argentine went to the right wing, while Ribéry moved inside into the attacking midfield role.
The change worked almost immediately.
De Rossi intercepted possession near the halfway line and played into Fàbregas. Cesc turned beautifully away from the midfielder pressing him and, without needing another touch to assess the field, slipped the ball into open space down the right.
Messi accelerated onto it.
He cushioned the ball with his chest, attacked the defender in front of him, beat him, and cut into the penalty area.
The goalkeeper rushed out.
Messi could have tried to finish himself, but Villa had moved into open space across goal.
Messi squared the ball.
Villa scored into an almost empty net.
0-1.
Once again, Messi had come from the bench and changed the match.
Afterwards, reporters asked why he had passed instead of shooting.
Messi answered with his usual modesty. "The goalkeeper had closed my angle. David had more space, and if I passed, he had an open goal. There wasn't really a decision to make."
The next question was inevitable.
A growing number of supporters and pundits believed Messi had done enough to start regularly. He had rescued New Manchester United several times from the bench, yet Mourinho continued to manage his minutes carefully.
Messi defended his manager.
"Mr Mourinho is an excellent coach. He's explained why he doesn't start me every week. I'm still young, and he wants to protect me. I understand that, and I'm grateful to him. My job is to be ready. Whenever he puts me on the pitch, I try to give everything I have."
Then came the transfer question.
With Messi's reputation growing almost by the week, stories linking him with Europe's biggest clubs had become constant. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Manchester United, and Arsenal were all mentioned at various times.
Reports were already valuing him at around £15 million, and some newspapers had begun treating him as an even more valuable prospect than Everton's Wayne Rooney.
"Your representatives have supposedly spoken with several major clubs. If you're not guaranteed a starting place here, would you consider leaving?"
Messi shook his head immediately.
"No."
There was no hesitation.
"I've been here for six years. I've watched this club grow from the lower levels of English football into one of the strongest teams in the Premier League. We might win the league this season. We might win the UEFA Cup again. I'm proud to be part of that."
His expression became more serious.
"I want to stay here for my whole career."
A reporter pushed further.
"But Palacio has been outstanding this season. If you stay, you may have to remain behind him for some time."
"Then I'll be a substitute," Messi replied.
That answer caught several journalists by surprise.
"This club gave me everything when I needed help. Without New Manchester United, I don't know what my career would look like. Six years ago, the club became part of my life, and I became part of it. I want to play here for as long as they'll have me."
The strength of his performances had not gone unnoticed inside Newton Heath either.
One of Ethan's first football-related meetings after returning to the club was with Messi. He spoke to him personally about the rumours, and Messi assured him that neither he nor his representatives had approached another club.
He wanted to stay.
Ethan made the club's position equally clear. Messi was considered a major part of New Manchester United's future. The coaches had seen everything he was doing, and nobody doubted his ability. The reason he was not starting every week had nothing to do with a lack of faith.
He was sixteen.
The Premier League was physically unforgiving, and exposing him to ninety minutes every week would invite opponents to target him relentlessly before his body had fully developed.
The same reasoning applied to Ishmael Miller, whose performances from the bench and in cup competitions had also impressed the staff.
Both youngsters were therefore offered improved contracts.
The club explained exactly how it viewed their development, what their current roles were, and how those roles were expected to grow. Messi and Ishmael accepted the reasoning. Both understood that being capable of contributing to the first team did not necessarily mean their bodies were ready for the full burden of an entire Premier League season.
What mattered was that the opportunities would continue to increase.
With Ethan personally involved in the discussions, neither player hesitated. Messi and Ishmael signed new five-year contracts with New Manchester United.
The wider football world paid particular attention to Messi's decision.
He had become one of the most exciting young players to emerge anywhere in Europe that season, but the fascination went beyond his performances.
People were beginning to learn the story of how he had arrived in Manchester as a boy, how the club had supported his treatment and his family, and how both player and club had grown together ever since.
For Messi, staying was not simply a football decision.
It was personal.
(To be continued.)