wage

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An away draw with Motherwell was not ideal for Dundee United, but Liam Carter played a role in both of the team's goals, directly assisting the second. His personal performance was solid.

Dundee United had won three consecutive matches before the international break, climbing to fourth place in the league. However, with two winless rounds after the break, they had slipped to seventh.

So, in the League Cup quarterfinals the following week, Peter Houston once again opted to rotate the squad, resting key players.

What was interesting was that Dundee United's opponent in the League Cup quarterfinals was the same as a few days ago—Motherwell, and once again, the match was an away fixture. Many were jokingly anticipating whether Dundee United would score more own goals.

But they were disappointed—Dundee United didn't concede an own goal this time. However, they still failed to win. A 0-1 loss away to Motherwell meant elimination from the League Cup.

Being knocked out of the League Cup didn't bother Peter Houston too much. His priority was stabilizing the team in the league and steadily climbing the table. His main goal was to secure European qualification by the end of the season—if that happened, he would be satisfied.

Dundee United's current form had allowed Houston to temporarily stabilize his position as head coach. However, it was clear that the club's management still didn't fully trust him after past performances. Houston knew that if the team finished in a mediocre mid-table position, he was likely to be dismissed.

If he wanted to stay in charge next season, he had to lead Dundee United to a European qualification spot. That would greatly increase his chances of keeping his job.

October 30 – Scottish Premier League, Round 10: Dundee United vs. Hibernian

Hibernian, from Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, was a historic club. They were city rivals of Hearts and had long been considered the third-biggest team in Scottish football, behind Celtic and Rangers. (While Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, Edinburgh is its capital.)

Interestingly, Hibernian was also the first British club to participate in the European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League).

The tournament's inaugural edition didn't require teams to be domestic league champions. Instead, participation was by invitation, with only 16 teams involved. Among them, the most prominent clubs were Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Originally, two British clubs were invited—Hibernian represented Scotland, while Chelsea was invited as England's representative.

However, Chelsea had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts, as the English FA wasn't keen on accommodating a newly formed European competition. As a result, Chelsea lost the distinction of being England's first Champions League team, while Hibernian went on to represent British football.

Hibernian performed well in that first European Cup, reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by French powerhouse Stade de Reims.

This time, facing Hibernian at home, Peter Houston gave a clear directive: "We must win this match."

Indeed, failing to win would mean going four matches without a victory across all competitions.

Losing too many games in a row often sapped a team's spirit and confidence.

However, Hibernian was no pushover. Even with home advantage, Dundee United knew they had a tough battle ahead.

The first half was evenly contested, with both sides exchanging attacks, but neither could break the deadlock. It ended 0-0.

71st Minute – A Moment of Magic

Liam Carter positioned himself on the right flank, waiting for an opportunity to push forward. Midfielder John Rankin received the ball in the center and quickly passed it to Liam. However, the pass was slightly off—half a meter behind him and at an awkward height.

Faced with a difficult pass, Liam instinctively reacted.

With a sudden burst of creativity, he turned his body, raised his right foot, and hooked the ball over his shoulder, flicking it forward in one motion.

By the time the ball landed, he had already turned and sprinted past his defender.

"Beautiful~~~ Carter's touch is simply brilliant!!!"

"What a moment of genius from Liam Carter!!"

With space in front of him, Liam drove into the penalty area. As defenders rushed to close him down, he calmly played a precise pass across the face of goal.

David Goodwillie arrived at the back post, meeting the ball with a simple tap-in.

GOAL!

That goal proved to be the match-winner. Dundee United held on to their 1-0 lead, finally breaking their winless streak in all competitions.

Climbing the Standings

With this crucial victory, Dundee United moved up two spots in the table, rising to fifth place.

The most anticipated match of this round, however, was the Old Firm Derby—Celtic vs. Rangers.

Before this round, both Glasgow giants had maintained perfect records with nine wins in nine games. This was a true top-of-the-table clash.

In the end, Celtic suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 1-3 at home to Rangers. With that result, Rangers took sole possession of the top spot in the league.

This was the reality of Scottish football—Celtic and Rangers rarely lost to other teams domestically. When they did, it was usually to each other. It was difficult for other clubs to challenge their dominance.

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The day after the match, Liam Carter was caught off guard when assistant coach John Holt suddenly invited him to dinner.

Arriving at a French restaurant in the city, Liam finally understood the reason for the dinner.

Holt introduced a distinguished guest:

"Liam, this is our club chairman, Eddie Thompson."

"Mr. Thompson, this is Liam Carter. You've seen him play."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thompson." Liam shook hands with the chairman, showing the appropriate level of respect.

"Liam, you've been performing exceptionally well lately. John here really does have an eye for talent," Thompson said with a smile.

The three of them enjoyed a meal together, during which Liam finally learned the real reason behind the invitation.

This wasn't just a social dinner—it was a chance for the chairman to build rapport with him. More importantly, Thompson wanted to inform Liam that at the end of the season, Dundee United would activate the buyout clause in his loan contract, making him a permanent signing.

Liam was a bit taken aback. Given his performances so far, he had expected the club to commit to the buyout much sooner.

It seemed that Dundee United had initially hesitated over whether he was worth the £1.2 million fee written into the deal. Only recently had they finally decided he was worth it.

However, what Liam was really hoping to hear was news of a salary increase.

His current contract had been signed with Crystal Palace before his loan move, earning him £4,000 per week—roughly £20,000 per month. While not terrible, it was certainly on the lower end for a first-team player in the Scottish Premier League.

This kind of contract was common for young players in British football unless they were considered elite prospects.

But given his recent performances, Liam felt he was worth significantly more than £20,000 per month.

However, Dundee United showed no indication that they planned to improve his wages.

In other words, from their perspective, Liam Carter's current salary was already perfectly reasonable.