August 15, 2011, London, Grosvenor House Hotel.
This Victorian-style building located at Mayfair was tightly wrapped in spotlights and red carpet tonight.
The entrance of the hotel was filled with black Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce. The flashlights formed a white rain of light in the night. The reporters crowded behind the isolation fence and aimed their guns and cannons at every player who walked on the red carpet.
Today is the 2010/11 season PFA (Professional Footballers' Association of England) annual awards dinner.
This is the most important player award in England football. It is voted for by professional players and is more credible than the official selection Premier League Player of the Season to some extent.
Because it is the players themselves who vote, they know who is the hardest to guard, who is the most deadly, and who deserves this honor.
The crystal chandelier in the hotel lobby illuminates the entire space like daylight. In front of the huge sign-in board, players lined up in suits and ties to take photos.
Waiters walked through the crowd carrying champagne trays, music, conversation, and laughter mixed together, and the air was filled with the smell of cologne and champagne.
Zhang Kuang stood in front of the sign-in board, wearing a well-tailored black suit and a meticulously buttoned white shirt collar.
He did not wear a tie, but opened the buttons on his collar, which was specially designed by the stylist.
It's formal but not too restrictive, which fits his "somewhat crazy" persona.
He showed a standard smile to the camera, and the flash instantly overwhelmed him.
"Zhang! Look here!" The reporters were greeting Zhang Kuang.
"Turn around!"
"Can I take a picture with that trophy?"
"..."
The voices of reporters rose and fell one after another.
Zhang Kuang completed a few actions in cooperation, and then quickly walked into the banquet hall.
He paused at the door and glanced at the entire hall.
The round tables are arranged neatly, and each table is equipped with exquisite French tableware and menu cards printed with the PFA logo.
On the rostrum at the front, three silver trophies shine under the lights, which are tonight's PFA Players' Player of the Year trophies.
He found the table of Manchester United, and Van der Sar and Vidić have already arrived.
This time Manchester United has four people in the best 11-man lineup, Van der Sar, Vidić, Zhang Kuang, Berbatov.
In addition to being selected for the best eleven, Zhang Kuang was also selected for the best player of the year. A total of 5 people were finally shortlisted.
These five people are: Zhang Kuang, Ber, Nasri, Tevez, Vidić.
Van der Sar was wearing a dark blue suit, his tie was a little crooked, and he already had a glass of champagne in his hand. Seeing Zhang Kuang walking over, he stood up and opened his arms. "Hey, kid! How are you feeling tonight?"
Zhang Kuang bumped fists with him. "It's a bit hot. The material of this suit is too thick."
Vidić sat aside, holding a glass of mineral water, and smiled, "You are going to speak on stage later, are you nervous?"
Zhang Kuang pulled out the chair and sat down, picked up the menu card on the table and took a look. "Why are you nervous? If I don't win the prize, I will just come for a meal. Anyway, I heard that the steak here is good."
Van der Sar laughed loudly, "You are sure to win the award. Is it possible that anyone can surpass your 105 goals in a single season? Let me tell you, I wrote your name when I voted last year!"
Ber, Nasri, they did play well, but you have a record-breaking number of goals, 105 goals in a single season. If I don't give it to you, then this award will be in vain!"
Zhang Kuang waved his hand. "Keep a low profile, I haven't officially received the trophy yet."
At this time Berbatov also arrived, and he attracted a lot of attention as soon as he walked in.
The Bulgarian wore a dark green velvet suit. This color would appear tacky on others, but he wore it with the temperament of a certain artist.
He came over, sat down next to Zhang Kuang, and put his phone on the table.
"Dimitar, you dress like a Oscars movie star." Zhang Kuang said.
Berbatov picked up the water glass in front of him expressionlessly. "At least I don't have to jump up and kick the air when I receive the award."
Van der Sar Almost spit out the champagne.
The dinner proceeding followed the usual routine. First, PFA Chairman Gordon·Tyler took the stage to deliver a speech. He reviewed Premier League's wonderful moments of the previous season and mentioned the outstanding performances of many players.
Highlights of the 2010/11 season were played on the big screen: Ber's hat trick on Meazza, Nasri's deft pass on Emirates Stadium People, Tevez's violent long shot in Manchester Derby, Zhang Kuang's goal in Old Trafford against Chelsea...
Whenever the picture of Zhang Kuang appears, there will be a burst of applause and whistles in the banquet hall.
Those opponents who were facing each other on the court were applauding his performance at this moment.
The first appetizer was smoked salmon with cucumber slices and yogurt sauce. Zhang Kuang took a bite and nodded. The taste was worthy of a five-star hotel.
Vidić, who was at the same table, asked him in a low voice, "Who did you vote for for the best player?"
Zhang Kuang put down his fork. "Ber, Vidić, and myself."
Vidić was stunned for a second, then smiled and shook his head, "You are honest."
"To vote not to vote for yourself and your teammates is disrespectful to yourself." Zhang Kuang said confidently.
The second course was grilled beef tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes and red wine sauce. Zhang Kuang ate it very seriously, not paying attention to the surrounding cameras at all.
He knew that there would be countless live broadcasts filming him tonight, but he felt that it would be more embarrassing to pretend to eat in front of the camera, so it was better to eat more naturally.
Van der Sar was playing with his mobile phone next to him, and then suddenly handed the screen to Zhang Kuang: "Look at social media, they are all betting on you to win, the odds are 1.2."
Zhang Kuang glanced at it. "Then how much did you bet?"
"I bet you to win, three thousand pounds." Van der Sar grinned, "If you can't get it, I will go bankrupt."
"You are betting on the prize, not the number of goals scored," Zhang Kuang said, "It should be a sure bet."
The third dish is lemon tart with raspberry jam, which is sweet but not greasy and melts in your mouth.
Zhang Kuang Halfway through eating, the lights in the entire banquet hall suddenly dimmed, and a beam of chasing light hit the podium.
PFA Chairman Gordon·Tyler came on stage again, holding an envelope in his hand.
"Everyone, I think you have all been waiting for this moment for a long time." Tyler said into the microphone, his voice echoing in the entire banquet hall. "Before announcing the best player of the year, we must first announce PFA Team of the Year, which is voted by all our professional players and represents the best player in each position in the 2010/11 season Premier League."
The big screen lit up, and one name after another was announced along with the players' season highlights.
"Goalkeeper: Edwin·Van der Sar--Manchester United."
There was a round of applause in the banquet hall.
Van der Sar stood up and bowed slightly to everyone. Berbatov, Vidić and Zhang Kuang took the lead in applauding.
"Defender: Kali·Sagna--Arsenal."
"Defender: Ashley·Cole--Chelsea."
"Defender: Nemanja·Vidić--Manchester United."
Vidić stood up and bowed slightly to the surroundings, with a calm expression but a smile on his lips.
Manchester United's teammates applauded vigorously.
"Defender: Vincent·Kompany--Manchester City."
"Midfielder: Samir·Nasri--Arsenal."
Nasri was sitting at the table of Arsenal, and his teammate Wilshere was high-fiving him.
France man is wearing a gray suit tonight with a relaxed expression.
"Midfielder: Jack·Wilshere--Arsenal."
Wilshere showed a shy smile that only young people can have.
At 18 years old, he is the youngest player in this lineup. The fact that he can occupy a place in Arsenal's midfield and be recognized by his peers speaks for his talent.
"Midfielder: Gareth·Ber--Tottenham Hotspur."
Ber stood up, his black hair was neatly combed, and his dark blue suit reflected a subtle luster under the light.
There was a kind of determination and calmness in his expression. He felt that he was qualified to stand here. In fact, he did.
"Forward: Zhang Kuang--Manchester United."
Zhang Kuang stood up and waved, then quickly sat down.
"Forward: Carlos·Tevez--Manchester City."
Tevez is sitting at the table of Manchester City, with not much emotion on his face.
He scored 20 league goals in Manchester City last season, and as the core of the team, he led Manchester City to qualify for UEFA Champions League.
But transfer rumors have been plaguing him all summer. Sitting in the banquet hall, his eyes were a little wandering.
"Forward: Dimitar er·Berbatov--Manchester United."
Berbatov stood up, still expressionless, but nodded slightly when the camera swept over.
"Zhang Kuang was selected as PFA Team of the Year," He Wei's voice was transmitted back to China through CCTV's broadcast, and the scene on the screen was the scene in the London banquet hall, "At the same time, he is also the biggest favorite for the Player of the Year Award tonight."
Xu Yang responded, "This is the best recognition of his incredible performance last season. A China player is not only selected for the Premier League All-NBA Team, but may also win the Player of the Year Award. Five years ago, we would have never dared to think about it."
The best lineup on the big screen was frozen for ten seconds, and then it was cut back to the podium.
Gordon·Tyler cleared his throat, and the envelope in his hand attracted everyone's attention.
"Now," Tyler's voice lowered by half a degree, and the noise in the banquet hall receded like the tide, "I will announce the winner of the 2010/11 season PFA Players' Player of the Year."
He slowly tore open the envelope, pulled out the card inside, and took a look.
At that moment, he smiled.
"Everyone, it can be said that there is no suspense about the results of this year's voting." Tyler paused, his eyes swept across the audience, and finally landed in the direction of the Manchester United table.
"The winner is...Zhang Kuang!"
The moment the words fell, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the banquet hall.
Fan Delian laughed, gave Zhang Kuang a big hug, patted his back and shouted, "I said sure! I got three thousand pounds!"
Vidić and Berbatov also stood up to shake hands with him, and Berbatov patted him on the shoulder.
The table of Manchester United became the focus of the audience, while Zhang Kuang walked to the podium amidst applause.
He walked steadily and evenly, without any sense of urgency or panic.
On the rostrum, Gordon·Tyler handed the trophy to Zhang Kuang.
The silver trophy glows softly under the light, feels slightly cool, and is shaped like a player playing football.
Zhang Kuang grasped the pedestal of the trophy with both hands and turned around to face the hundreds of peers, coaches, media and staff in the audience.
As the light chased him, he saw countless faces in the audience, including familiar teammates, opponents he had fought against on the field, and people holding cameras to take pictures...
Countless smiling faces appeared, they are all good people!
He raised the trophy above his head, and the banquet hall burst into cheers again.
Then he walked to the microphone and placed the trophy on the stand next to him.
"Thank you." He said into the phone.
The whole place fell silent.
"Thank you PFA, thank you to all my colleagues who voted for me." Zhang Kuang's voice was not loud, but clear and steady, "I know what this award means. It was not chosen by reporters, not by coaches, but by the players who compete with me on the court every day. So how heavy is this award? Let your opponents vote for you... It is heavier than any trophy.
At least, when I usually compete with everyone, I don't offend everyone to death, which shows that although I am not an angel that everyone likes, at least I am not a stinking piece of shit."
Haha... the audience laughed freely.
He paused and his eyes fell on the table of Manchester United.
"At the same time, I also feel the innocence of all the players. No matter how everyone competes on the court, at least everyone's thoughts are sincere. That is, in Premier League, we all speak by our strength. With strength, whether we are teammates or opponents, we can get everyone's respect. Therefore, it makes people sigh. This is the reason why Premier League has become the world's largest league. Thank you Premier League, thank you innocent colleagues."
As soon as Zhang Kuang finished speaking, the audience burst into warm applause and cheers, because this sentence was very popular.
Everyone is not afraid of powerful enemies, but they are afraid of not having a platform that can convince others and stand out based on their strength.
"In addition to thanking Premier League for this platform, I also have to thank Sir Ferguson, who gave me the greatest trust and freedom. I also have to thank my teammates at Manchester United, who unconditionally trusted me and gave me the offensive task again and again, allowing me to score many goals and gain glory.
Of course, I have to thank the Manchester United Club. On the surface, it seems that the club has not helped me. In fact, the Manchester United Club has not restricted me from beginning to end. Even when there was a lot of news and noise about me, the club helped me block it, and it also gave me great support in life.
Finally, I would like to thank the fans and friends who support me, even the fans and friends who do not support me. I want to thank the fans and friends who support me because they are cheering for me in every game I participate in.
Even in terms of public opinion, they are helping me to discredit me and want to destroy all my power. And I would like to thank the fans and friends who do not support me because you did not take out a handful of truth to save me when I was not paying attention because you did not like me. I thank you for your mercy."
"Haha..."
Everyone in the audience was laughing so much that they were leaning forward and backward.
"Finally, what I want to say is that this trophy is just the beginning. I scored 105 goals last season, but that is over for me. In the new season, I will score more goals, give more assists, and win more championships.
I also hope that there will be more China players standing on this stage in the future. It is not just me, but more people. They can do it, as long as they believe in themselves."
The audience burst into applause again.
This time the applause was longer than before, with a different resonance than cheers.
Zhang Kuang walked off the podium with the trophy and returned to Manchester United's table.
Van der Sar couldn't wait to take the trophy and looked at it over and over, muttering, "This is what will let me win two thousand pounds. Okay, I like it."
Zhang Kuang: "If you like it, I can sell it to you. How about 2,500 pounds first?"
Van der Sar: "You are dreaming. I only earned 2,000. You want 2,500 from me? No, no!"
"Haha..."
During the second half of the dinner, Zhang Kuang became the focus of the audience.
Players from other clubs kept coming up to congratulate him. Some of them he knew, and some of them were just familiar to him.
Wilshere from Arsenal came over and shook hands. Ber from Tottenham Hotspur came once and chatted a little more this time.
Ber: "Although we are occasionally opponents on the field, I admire your ability and hope to have the opportunity to play together."
Zhang Kuang: "Okay, if you are interested, join Manchester United."
Ber:"Ahem, that's not what I meant..."
Zhang Kuang: "Haha, just kidding, I heard that you like to play golf. I will learn it when I have time, just to pretend to be elegant."
Ber:"Hee, okay."
"..."
Nasri came over with champagne, France had a drunken blush on his face. "Zhang, those cuts on the left...
Every time I study your video, I feel like I can't defend myself." He spread his hands and added, "Fortunately, I don't play left back."
This is such a long conversation, I don't know what he wants to express.
Zhang Kuang clinked glasses with him. "Marseille Turn, you were also very beautiful that day. Sagna said you could practice hundreds of times a day during training."
Nasri shook his head. "That's different. I was getting rid of the defense in the middle, but you were directly tearing open the entire defense line on the wing... Forget it, let's not talk about it, I will beat you once this season Emirates Stadium."
"Okay," Zhang Kuang said, "I'll wait."
When Nasri walked away, Van der Sar came over and said, "He seems to have drunk too much."
Zhang Kuang looked at Nasri's back. "He said he would beat me in Emirates Stadium this season."
Van der Sar shook his head. "Huh... I dare say he will go to Manchester City before the transfer window closes."
Zhang Kuang was a little surprised. "Why do you say that?"
Van der Sar lowered his voice. "Someone spread the word that his contract renewal negotiation with Arsenal has collapsed. Manchester City's offer is not low, so he may leave."
Zhang Kuang was silent for two seconds, then shook his head. "Then Arsenal will suffer a big loss."
"Arsenal keeps losing money every year," Van der Sar shrugged, "I'm used to it."
"Haha, what you said is very damaging. Be careful that Arsenal people will feel uncomfortable hearing it."
"..." Van der Sar spread his hands indifferently.
The dinner came to an end around 10:30.
Zhang Kuang was surrounded by reporters at the entrance of the hotel, with dozens of microphones stretched out in front of him.
The PFA official photographer asked him to take more than a dozen photos holding the trophy, including side lighting, front lighting, holding the trophy high, and staring down. Zhang Kuang completed all the photos cooperatively, and then left under the escort of security.
That night, social media exploded.
The hashtag #Zhang Kuang PFA Best of the Year# topped the list of trending searches for Weibo.
The sports sections of major domestic portals have made headlines:
"China is proud! Zhang Kuang is honored by PFA Players' Player of the Year!"
"Historic moment: China player wins Premier League Player of the Season for the first time"
"The value of 105 goals in a single season, peer voting is the best proof"
"..."
As for the United Kingdom, major media also gave high praise.
"The Times" commented. "A young man from China won the most important player award in the hometown of football.
This is not marketing or hype, he won it with 105 goals on the court. Premier League No one in history has ever achieved 100 goals in a single season. Not only did he achieve it, he also added five to this number."
The title of "The Guardian" carries a certain restrained respect. "The rise of Zhang Kuang has been unstoppable. The PFA Best of the Year is a summary of his past season, but what is even more frightening is that he is only 20 years old."
Zhang Kuang was sitting in the car returning to the hotel, looking at the London night view outside the car window, still holding the trophy in his hand.
Because he won the best of the year, he received a health reward of 38 games in a season, a total of 72 points, and his Qi and Blood Points also reached 1398.75 points.
The season has just begun and the goal of 2000 is getting closer and closer.
It's his birthday in two days, and Zhang Kuang is not going to have a big party like last year. He doesn't want to invite anyone. He is going to go back to Paris's villa to spend his twentieth birthday in a drunken atmosphere.
It doesn't get any better than this.