After the game against Bayern Munich, Higo’s reputation soared to the sky. If before only people from Gelsenkirchen and probably some hardcore football fans outside knew about him, now almost every single person in this country knew of him or at least heard his name.
That was what an amazing performance against Bayern could do for him.
Hell, even Lewandowski himself made a comment during the press conference, admitting freely that Higo was the toughest goalkeeper he had ever met in the last couple of years.
"He kept saying that even if he had to lose, he would bring hell to me, and to my frustration, he kept my word until the end of the game. I deeply respect that, but a stubborn goalkeeper like him is definitely a nightmare to face. He is the hardest opponent I have faced in the last few years, and he will be better than ever, note my words."
At least, that was what the Polish striker said when one reporter asked about his opinion on Higo, which was a great compliment from the man. After all, he had fought at the top level for so many years and even faced so many great goalkeepers like Thibaut Courtois, Marc-André ter Stegen, or even his current teammate Manuel Neuer himself, and yet it was Higo who impressed him the most.
Not just him; Thomas Muller also added a tidbit of his thoughts, and Hansi Flick, Bayern’s head coach, also praised the boy highly for his crazy performance today.
"I mean, we have done everything we could, and poor Lewy, he has to delay the record here. He really faces the worst opponent in the most crucial moment. Still... 17 saves? Gosh, even a video game character will not be as good as him, right?"
All of those praises elevated Higo’s name as one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world, and hell, some media even started to push his name to be included in the Golden Boy Award this year, the award for the best youngster in the world right now.
It was crazy to think that Higo achieved that just from playing one game in the Bundesliga, and that was why no one took this seriously. However, if only Higo could maintain his consistency for a little bit more... The story would be different by then.
Still, all that reputation also came with trouble. At first, Higo might not notice it, thinking everything was normal. However, it was Hans who reminded him of this trouble, as Bosch’s bartender suddenly asked him in an anxious tone.
"Higo... I don’t mean to pry, but everyone is asking about this question a lot lately. If your reputation rises quickly like that, would the other team be able to poach you?"
That left the boy stunned immediately, not knowing how to answer. He might be good at football, but a contract-related matter was always left to Fujita-san and Ayaka, his two most trusted people when it came to this.
"I... Don’t know, Hans, but I will ask my agent about this. I don’t know anything about how another team could poach me, but the best reassurance that I could give you right now is that I enjoy every second I am here, and I don’t intend to move at all. Other than that, I still have to communicate with my agent."
This answer was diplomatic but still gave enough information that made the man sigh in relief.
Honestly, Higo didn’t really need to explain this matter. He could just stay quiet, letting the deal happen behind the scenes. However, the people in this town were his backbone, and reassuring them would give a greater benefit rather than just keeping them on edge.
The best way to do that was to show his intention to Hans, as the man was one of the most influential figures in the community right now. True enough, right after that, his words spread like wildfire, giving relief and further establishing his reputation in this town.
However, that move didn’t seem to bode well with Fujita-san.
"Why would you do that?" The agent asked; his tone was closer to helplessness and annoyance rather than anger. "Even if you really want to stay, you have to at least keep your mouth shut until the negotiation is held! We can put more pressure on the team, increasing your status! Your salary, your bonus, and even sponsorship could be secured easily if the news hadn’t spread around so quickly like this!"
Higo just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Well... When he thought about it, he knew that he was wrong here. However, at that time, all he thought was how to reassure the fans that he wouldn’t go anywhere.
"Well... We should still have an advantage, right? I mean, if they don’t want anyone else to poach me, they have to be proactive because this team is not my only option here. So, the initiative should still be ours, right?" He asked, trying to look at the remaining positive side here.
"...Yeah, you are right, but that doesn’t mean this is not annoying." Even without seeing the man directly, Higo could imagine him rubbing his forehead in a headache. "Anyway, I will start renegotiating the contract again! Before that, don’t say anything decisively and always give a neutral answer!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Right after that, Higo didn’t dare to say anything whenever some people in the neighborhood asked him about his future. He would always smile mysteriously, neither agreeing nor denying. It couldn’t be helped, since one mistake was indeed too much already in this regard.
Still, the focus changed once again soon enough, as he had to travel with the team again for another away game. Yeah, it was crazy that they had three away games in a row, the most difficult schedule compared to any other Bundesliga team. Unfortunately, they couldn’t complain too much, being forced to accept this and play obediently.
This time, they were going to the capital city, fighting against a mid-tier team and also a historical one in this country: Hertha Berlin.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter