As the interview kicked off, Fei Yu commented on three key words for himself: sadness, perseverance, and fighting spirit.
However, at the end of the interview, what emerged in the reporter's mind was his humor, perseverance, filial piety, high fighting spirit, innocence and sincerity. In fact, Fei Yu is also a grateful, easily satisfied, humble and enthusiastic person.
For three and a half hours, he reviewed his career. Although he tried to tell the past in a calm and even self-deprecating tone, but when a frame of photographs linked together, the reporter could not help but feel admiration. What he has gone through is unimaginable to ordinary people, but he has always remained steadfast, and his heart has never changed.
No regrets, move forward, if it is us, can have Fei Yu that brave all the way forward?
"I had a chat with Mr. Xie, and he was very emotional when he talked about his early childhood. He said that nine out of ten coaches thought I couldn't play soccer. When I heard this, I felt proud and thought to myself: I finally have a head coach who can surpass me. He was rejected by ninety percent of the people, while I, on the other hand, was affirmed by all eleven ......"
The reporter interrupted at the right time, "Ten coaches, eleven denied you, so where did the extra one come from?"
"Pedestrians passing by, even passers-by, denied me, no one believed that a fat man could play soccer. They used to say: Is it just a fat guy? Can he play soccer? He's like a ball himself! He was prone to fouls because there was only one ball per game, and they mistook the team for a private ball into the field ......," Fei Yu relates in a calm tone. Now he can tell it in a relaxed tone, but the heart of that eight or nine year old child back then was filled with sadness.
Perhaps he grew up suffering indifference and ridicule due to his size. Feiyu forged a tough character in silence and is obsessed with proving he can play well. "I wanted to be flexible and fat, and I wanted to play soccer well, all the time. Growing up amidst taunts and blows, I just didn't want to admit defeat, let alone give up easily." He said. Despite his strong beliefs, few of his starter coaches saw him as a moldable talent.
"Shenhua Football School was established around 2000. At that time, I was just in the second semester of third grade. After the school year started, I would face the first major decision in my life: whether to continue my education or to join soccer." In the early days of Shenhua Soccer School, students not only had to pay 30,000 yuan in sponsorship fees, but also had to bear more than 10,000 yuan in annual tuition. For an ordinary family like Fei Yu, this is undoubtedly a huge sum of money that is difficult to afford.
Many people, believing that Fei Yu would never be able to kick out, advised his parents, out of the goodness of their hearts, not to listen to their child. They believed that entering the Shenhua soccer school was a waste of money and life. Fei Yu's mother, who is a teacher, thought deeply and communicated with her son in depth. She did not want to leave her children with regrets. Because Shenhua was planning to enroll three classes, but the class division was based on the entrance exam results. The first 32 can enter a class, is expected to enter the Shenhua club ladder. The next class, coaching configuration and training content is very different from the first class, the child is difficult to stand out.
"In the end, my parents and I reached an agreement. If I failed to get into a class, I would continue to study at Quangling Road Primary School. If I get into the top 32, my family will sell a small house to support my soccer studies." Fei Yu did not fail his parents. He placed 31st in the overall quality competition for all players and his parents made good on their promise to sell their house and use the proceeds to pay for tuition and living expenses.
"Two things happened before I reported to Shenhua Football School. First, the principal was very angry because I was the first child since the school's inception who had not transferred to another school for leaving the city, and I had not been transferred to a key elementary school at the same level as Guangling Road. The principal thought this was disrespectful and even humiliating to the school. That day, my mom and I cried, but we had to make a choice for our life's dream."
"Secondly, after entering Shenhua Football School, my mom and I signed an agreement. My mom asked me for three things: first, don't give up on my studies and I must get a scholarship every year; second, learn English; and third, meet the standards in all soccer training and strive for excellence. If only one of them was not up to standard, I would immediately drop out of school and cut off my financial resources. I promised my mom without hesitation."
Later, Fei Yu received scholarships from Shenhua Football School every year. He excelled in English, remained team captain, and won honors such as District Outstanding School Official. Fei Yu's mother has always treasured these certificates of honor. Unfortunately, the "three musts" agreement was lost in the move.
