It was Ye Chen's first time using the locker room at Old Trafford.
Of course, they only had the right to use it; they were far from qualified to have their jerseys hung here.
Solskjaer was still arranging tactics, his expression serious.
But the real reason behind his stern demeanor wasn't the gameâit was Ye Chen.
Just moments ago, the team manager approached Solskjaer, firmly instructing him not to put Ye Chen on the pitch regardless of the circumstances.
The reason was simple. Due to his refusal to train, Ye Chen's reputation in China was in tatters.
Many fans had even left comments under Manchester United's official Instagram account, demanding the club terminate his contract.
The team manager, David Gill, promptly ordered the public relations department to address the issue. After consulting with Manchester United's representatives in China, he learned the extent of the uproar caused by Ye Chen.
Radical fans had posted videos of themselves burning jerseys and boycotting Manchester United matches, forcing the club to take the matter seriously.
Originally, Ye Chen had been signed to tap into the Chinese market, but instead of helping, he had caused trouble.
Early this morning, David Gill handed Solskjaer a termination letter.
He demanded that Ye Chen be immediately and decisively released from the team.
Solskjaer pleaded, arguing that Ye Chen had been performing well recently and could represent the U18 team in matches.
But David Gill shot back, "How does he compare to Pogba?"
"There's still a significant gap," Solskjaer admitted truthfully.
"Then what are you hesitating for? If even a talent like Pogba can't always represent Manchester United, why should he?"
With that, Solskjaer had no choice but to comply. After all, he was just an employee.
Ye Chen's presence had tarnished Manchester United's image, leaving no room for him to stay.
Unaware of any of this, Ye Chen was listening attentively to Solskjaer's tactical instructions, afraid of missing anything.
After all, this match was set to be his first-ever appearance.
Solskjaer led the substitute players through the tunnel to the home team's area, while the starting lineup waited at the tunnel entrance to come out with the referee team.
That day, Old Trafford welcomed over 10,000 fans, with Liverpool's side contributing at least 2,000 to 3,000 supporters.
Even before the match began, Liverpool fans had already started singing You'll Never Walk Alone.
Manchester United's fans, of course, weren't about to be outdone, and chants of Glory Glory Man United echoed through the stadium.
Although it was just a U18 match, the intensity of the rivalry was palpable.
From the stands, David Gill watched the pitch with a grim expression.
When Ye Chen was selected for the U17 national team, he had been thrilled. But who could have predicted things would come to this?
Several times, the U16 youth team coach had suggested not renewing Ye Chen's contract, but Gill had overruled them.
If he'd known it would come to this, he would have removed this bad apple from the team much earlier.
Thankfully, there was still time to fix the situation.
David Gill pulled out his phone and called the head of the PR department, instructing them to hold a press conference and announce on Manchester United's website that Ye Chen's contract had been terminated.
This unilateral termination would require a £2,000 compensation payment to Ye Chen, but it also demonstrated the club's resolve.
For now, Gill believed he had handled the issue decisively.
However, many years later, during an interview, David Gill would break down in tears. "I am the sinner of Manchester United. If only I hadn't terminated Ye Chen's contract back then, maybe Manchester United wouldn't have languished for so long!"
By then, Ye Chen had grown into a player capable of single-handedly carrying a team.
But for now, Ye Chen was still sitting on the bench, grinning to himself.
"Hey, what are you laughing about?" A crisp female voice interrupted Ye Chen's daze as he watched the field.
Turning around, Ye Chen saw an absolutely stunning face. Even in Europe, her beauty was unparalleled.
"Lina?" Ye Chen recognized her immediately. She was the coach's cherished daughter. They had met a few times and were acquainted.
"Hey, let me show you something!" she said, handing him her phone.
Ye Chen hit play.
The first clip showed him shooting early to bypass two defenders. The ball visibly dipped as it approached the goal.
The second clip featured a pass from Januzaj, followed by Ye Chen rushing to the far post to tap the ball in.
The final clip was a corner kick from Januzaj, with Ye Chen delivering a thunderous volley.
Watching the highlights, one might mistake him for Cristiano Ronaldo!
And the music accompanying the video was electrifying.
Clearly, this video had been edited with great enthusiasm.
"How did you get this footage?" Ye Chen asked Lina in surprise.
"From my dad, of course! How's my editing? Pretty good, huh?" Lina said proudly. "I even shared it in my class group chat, and now all my classmates are asking about you!"
Ye Chen felt a bit embarrassed. "Thank you! Can you send me the video?"
"Of course, but you'll have to treat me to dinner!" Lina replied with a radiant smile, sunlight casting a golden glow on her face.
For a moment, Ye Chen was stunned.
Was this the main character of a European drama? She was breathtakingly beautiful!
Glancing at Solskjaer, Ye Chen was relieved that Lina didn't resemble him. Otherwise, she couldn't have been so stunning.
"Hey, stop daydreaming! I'm talking to you!" Lina's annoyed voice snapped Ye Chen out of his trance.
He quickly nodded. "No problem! If we win this match, I'll use my win bonus to treat you to dinner!"
"Then you'd better work hard. Liverpool isn't easy to beat."
"Don't worry. With me here, nothing can go wrong!" Ye Chen replied confidently. Football was the one thing he had every reason to believe in himself about.
After all, he was the chosen one.
Lina, in turn, was momentarily stunned.
She suddenly remembered how her classmates had described Ye Chen: Not many Eastern guys are this handsome.
Well, she had to admit they were right.
By then, the players from both teams were taking to the field.
On commentary, Carragher and Scholes introduced the lineups, while Ye Chen turned his gaze to Liverpool's side, spotting their lively young player.
This version of Sterling looked even younger and slightly shorter. It was hard to say if he'd bring his trademark joyfulness to the match!