Dundee United

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July 28, Dundee, a small town in Scotland.

"Daniel, wait for me, don't go so fast."

"Hurry up, Oliver, today is the first public training day for the team in the new season. I don't want to miss it."

"Don't worry, there's still time. We don't have to rush so much."

"You can't walk anymore? Hey, buddy, you really should lose weight."

"Come on, as long as French fries and cola exist, I can't lose weight."

Dundee United's home stadium, Tannadice Park, was bustling with fans wearing the club's yellow jerseys as they entered the stands. Among them, a chubby young man and a short, thin youth chatted loudly while walking, drawing attention from those around them.

The two entered the stadium, found seats near the front, and began observing the players warming up on the pitch.

"Our squad doesn't seem to have changed much," asked the short young man, Daniel.

"I know this best. I keep up with the club's every move." Fat Oliver began showing off his knowledge. "See that black player with the braids? That's Danny Cadamarteri, a striker we signed from Huddersfield. He played in the Premier League for Everton for a few seasons, but he's already 31. Not sure how much he has left in the tank."

"A veteran from League One? Can he even handle the Championship?" Daniel asked doubtfully.

"You should recognize the tall guy over there. He was Hearts' backup goalkeeper last season—Steve Banks. Now that his contract expired, he's joined us. He'll probably be a backup here too, since he's already 36."

"What kind of signings are these? A veteran no one else wants and a striker from League One?" Daniel was clearly unimpressed.

"We're not an oil-rich club like Manchester City. We're just a small team. Don't we sign players like this every season?" Oliver replied realistically.

"But in two days, we have to play in the UEFA Cup qualifiers. How are we supposed to compete in Europe with these players?" Daniel was clearly frustrated.

"Maybe the club isn't too focused on the UEFA Cup. We won the FA Cup last season, and, let's be honest… no one expects us to go far in Europe." Even Oliver couldn't help but feel a little down. "But we've also promoted some youngsters from the academy. Hopefully, they can step up."

"That's Barry Douglas, a promising defender from our youth team. Over there is Stuart Armstrong, a talented midfielder. And Ryan Dow, a solid goal scorer from the academy..."

Oliver continued rattling off names until Daniel suddenly interrupted.

"Okay, okay, I know those guys. But who's that over there? I've never seen him before. Is he another youth team promotion? Or did we sign him from somewhere else?"

"Uh…" Oliver hesitated, clearly caught off guard. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'm not sure. Based on his age, he could be a new signing for the youth squad. But… he doesn't look like he's from around here."

"Hold on, I'll check." Oliver quickly pulled out his phone and started searching through the club's official website and fan forums.

A few minutes later, he found what he was looking for.

"Got it! It's him."

"He's a young player on loan from Crystal Palace. Born in 1993, only 17 years old. His name is… Liam Carter."

"Liam Carter…?" Both Oliver and Daniel said the name at the same time, filled with confusion.

"Wait, is this guy even real? What if he suddenly goes berserk and kicks someone in the teeth during a match?"

"Hold on, I remember something. I saw people discussing on the fan forums a while ago that Old John's grandson is supposedly a youth prospect at Crystal Palace. There were rumors about him transferring here."

"Old John? You mean John Carter, the stadium director?"

"Yeah, that's him. But why does his grandson look so different?"

"Maybe his mother was from somewhere else."

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On the Training Pitch

As Dundee United wrapped up their routine warm-up, the team prepared for a full-field scrimmage.

"Stay sharp! Give it your all!" Assistant coach Toby Harrison shouted, trying to fire up the squad.

Today was the club's first open training session ahead of the new season. The coaching staff wanted the players to display their confidence and give the fans something to cheer about.

Liam Carter had arrived in Dundee on the 25th. On the 26th, he spent the day finalizing paperwork for his loan move. On the 27th, he participated in his first training session with the squad.

It certainly helped to have connections. Back at Crystal Palace, Liam had often heard words like "be patient" and "you're still young." But here at Dundee United, he was immediately training with the first team.

Dundee United's preseason had begun in early July. Since they had won the Scottish FA Cup last season, they earned a spot in the UEFA Cup qualifiers.

According to Scotland's current UEFA ranking, Dundee United had to start from the third qualifying round. If they could advance through two rounds, they would reach the UEFA Cup group stage.

Their first match was scheduled for July 30—just two days away. And in the qualifying draw held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Dundee United had the misfortune of drawing one of the toughest possible opponents—Premier League giants Liverpool.

Liverpool was one of only two European powerhouses in the qualification rounds, alongside Juventus from Italy.

Dundee United had hit the jackpot—just not in a good way.

The scrimmage soon began, but Liam Carter was initially left on the bench.

He wasn't even among the substitutes.

Liam wasn't surprised. Although he had been allowed to train with the first team, that was mostly due to his grandfather's influence. If he didn't prove himself on the pitch, he would soon be sent to the reserves.

After 45 minutes of play, the coaching staff called for a short break before beginning the second half of the scrimmage.

"Liam, get ready to sub in," assistant coach Harrison called out.

"You're replacing Andis. Play as a right midfielder."

Andis Salad, a 23-year-old German, had been recruited from a semi-pro league. He wasn't particularly talented and had only managed to break into the first-team squad last season.

Now being subbed off for Liam, his expression darkened—he knew he had another competitor to worry about.

Liam had only trained with the squad for two days, so he had little chemistry with his teammates. The first time he received a pass, his reaction was too slow, missing a chance to link up with his team.

But Liam knew what he had to do—show his talent.

Chemistry could be built over time, but raw ability was something the coaches couldn't ignore.

After about seven or eight minutes, Liam finally got his chance.

The main squad had been pressing forward, but after losing possession, the substitute team's right-back quickly sent a pass toward midfield—right to Liam.

With no defender close by, Liam controlled the ball smoothly, turned, and accelerated forward in one fluid motion.

"Didn't you say he was a midfielder?" On the sidelines, head coach Peter Houston asked his assistant.

"That's what Old John told me," Harrison replied. "But apparently, the kid decided to switch to playing out wide a couple of months ago."

Liam kept sprinting down the right wing. The main squad's left-back, Sean Dillon, rushed in to challenge, but Liam feinted slightly before bursting past him with an extra touch.

Moments later, Liam reached the byline and whipped a cross into the box.

It was a perfect delivery, but substitute striker Ryan Dow was just a step too slow and sent the ball flying into the stands.

Ryan was frustrated by the missed opportunity, but on the sidelines, Coach Houston was already clapping.

In the stands, Oliver and Daniel were impressed.

"This guy is pretty fast."

"And that cross was solid, too."