Football: The Old Hand Riding the Wave

This isn't what it means to be a late bloomer. A player can be playing in a third or fourth-tier league at 25 or 26, then, after obtaining the system, directly enter a top league within 1-2 years and become the world's best. That's true late blooming. A player who's 30, no matter how well they play, is never a true core player.

Cristiano Ronaldo, at 33, had to leave Real Madrid for Serie A to retire. You're suggesting he'd be 32 and playing in the Premier League? Which top team would dare use him as a core player? They'd only offer him one-year contracts, afraid he might die on the field someday. Late bloomers aren't necessarily better with age; at 32, aside from a few iron men, most are retired or semi-retired. Even if you changed it down by about six years, people might still click and read it.

The main character is too old, the starting point is too low, and there's not much to look forward to. Let's see how it goes.

You're in your thirties and you're writing about football? You don't even respect the sport. How can you write well?

At his age, I doubt only Serie A would be willing to give him a starting position.

By the time you're in your thirties, become famous, join a renowned team, and achieve results, you're basically retired. Logically speaking, you haven't made much money or gained much fame. This kind of low-quality story has no appeal; there's never been a hit in the world of senior football over the years. Anyone who wants to write about this kind of story is just a self-righteous, self-indulgent individual.

At this age, he'll probably only play for 3-4 years before moving into the entertainment industry. Otherwise, why would he write down his age? There aren't many world-class athletes around 32 years old these days. If you're still the same mediocre player you were before, you'll likely face at least a two-year observation period. There's no reason to give you a big contract unless it's one with maximum rewards but a low salary.

Old Deng's early game is undeniably impressive, but aside from statistically supported achievements like goals and assists, forget about individual accolades. Big clubs won't gamble on his future; if they need immediate impact, they'll sign him on a short-term contract and won't invest resources in him.

The system is still so slow at such an old age.

Finally, there are some readable football novels!