A Heartbreaking Farewell

In a quiet community in East London, Dean Richards and his wife, Samantha, lived in one of the apartments. When he arrived at Millwall, the club's facilities were still under construction. He didn't choose the free accommodation offered by the club; instead, he saved up money, hoping to eventually move to a more upscale neighborhood with his wife.

After dinner, while Samantha was washing the dishes, Richards sat on the sofa watching TV, feeling increasingly down.

This year, his opportunities to play had dwindled. Just when he thought he would finally get his chance due to the team's rotation, he had an unexpected dizzy spell after training and found himself visiting the medical staff, which resulted in him not even making it onto the substitutes' bench.

He deeply regretted listening to those doctors who advised him against playing while they awaited medical reports.

Inside, he felt incredibly frustrated; it's just a dizzy spell, isn't it? That's normal, right? It only meant he was training too hard.

But regardless of how hard the other players trained, they would feel exhausted afterward, while he felt dizzy. After a gap of two and a half months, he started experiencing vomiting as well, but Richards didn't think it was a big deal. Such things weren't uncommon on the field.

When Aldrich calmly knocked on his door, Richards was taken aback. The head coach personally visiting him at this hour surely meant they needed to discuss something significant. His immediate thought was: I'm going to be sold!

After all, his competition in the central defender position was performing better and better. Elgar was the first choice for a backup, followed by Materazzi. Now, he had fallen to competing with that kid Ferdinand.

Could this mean the end of his time at Millwall?

Samantha poured Aldrich a glass of water, and after he sat down, a long silence stretched between them as he took in the simple surroundings of their apartment. After a while, he spoke softly, "Dean, can we talk privately?"

Richards pessimistically thought: It's true; they are going to sell me!

Samantha must have thought the same; her mood instantly sank, and with a worried look, she retreated to the bedroom.

Neither of them wanted to leave. Richards was convinced that staying at Millwall could lead to a bright future. If only the head coach would give him a chance, he knew his performance on the field would earn the trust of everyone—his coach, his teammates, and the fans!

Aldrich was at a loss for words, but Richards took the initiative, saying, "Are you selling me, boss? If that's true, just let me know. I can take it."

Aldrich gave a sad smile when he heard those words, and then he fell silent.

Another lengthy silence followed. Aldrich handed him the medical report and said gently, "Dean, for the past few months, you've felt unwell after training, and after tests, the doctors have found you've contracted a rare illness that we can't seem to treat. Their recommendation is for you to temporarily stop training and competing. If they can cure you quickly, you'll be able to return to the field. If not, I've prepared a new contract for you; you can stay with the club in a non-playing role or transition to coaching. The club will cover all your medical care, so you won't have to worry about costs."

Richards stood there in shock, then frantically flipped through the medical report in his hands, brimming with professional jargon and test data he couldn't make sense of. Aldrich couldn't understand it either, but at the end, the doctor's diagnosis was written in plain language, recommending that he cease any strenuous activity due to the symptoms occurring during or after intense exercise.

"I don't believe it! This is a lie! This is part of those bastards' conspiracy! They want to ruin me!"

Richards shouted, losing control of his emotions as he tore the report to shreds.

He was just two and a half months away from turning 23, stepping into the prime of his playing career, and this stage was vital for him!

However, this sudden blow caused him to lose all rationality.

Aldrich rose and tightly embraced the frenzied Richards, heartbroken as he urged, "Dean, don't do this, calm down, just calm down."

Samantha heard the commotion from the bedroom and rushed out, only to see Richards in Aldrich's arms, tears streaming down his face as he cried like a child.

"Boss, this is not true! This is impossible! I am not sick, I can still play football! I can still play football!!"

"Boss, this must be a misdiagnosis. I can't believe it! I'm going to a better hospital for advice. I will definitely be able to play football again..."

What does not playing football mean to him?

It would strip his life of all meaning and take away the main source of income for their newly formed young family.

The beautiful life he and his wife dreamed of was about to take an unpredictable turn.

Aldrich would rather not believe this was true either, but Thompson had dragged his feet for three months before finally presenting the report to Aldrich. They had verified it from multiple sources and consulted renowned doctors in England, even personally flying to the U.S. to speak with top specialists for pathology assessments. Yet the conclusion remained that it was a rare illness.

There are many types of diseases; some are immediate, where symptoms lead to quick diagnoses, while others are chronic. Richards' symptoms seemed trivial, things typical players would brush off, thinking some rest would take care of it. But that didn't mean his body was healthy. Perhaps the disease had a longer incubation period, slowly compromising his health. By the time severe symptoms emerged, it could be too late to save him.

Aldrich continually reassured Richards to help him stay calm and adopt a positive mindset in facing this sudden change.

Yet, his words seemed so weak and empty. From where he stood as an observer, he felt a deep ache within, but he couldn't truly feel the pain the other person was going through. His attempts at comforting were, in the end, quite meaningless.

After Samantha learned of the situation, tears immediately filled her eyes. Aldrich stayed with the young couple through the night, sitting in silence.

The next day, Aldrich informed Richards' family and arranged for a new medical checkup for him. No matter what, Richards needed to become fully aware of his health condition, as that knowledge would always be more persuasive than anyone else's words.

That afternoon, Aldrich, having had a sleepless night, appeared with bloodshot eyes and a furrowed brow as he directed the team from the sideline during their Premier League match.

They were away against the relegation-threatened Coventry. The team seemed to be affected by Aldrich's lackluster energy. Coventry scored a goal in the first half, while in the second half, amidst relentless pressure, they earned a penalty. Larsson stepped up and scored, helping the team secure a draw.

In a concurrent match, Manchester United defeated Everton 2-0 at home, reducing the point gap between the two teams to just 11 points.

With seven rounds of league play remaining, Millwall would face Manchester United in a direct confrontation two matches from now. Ferguson, not willing to give up, was again pushing for a new title.

Aldrich impatiently responded to the buzz about Manchester United's comeback possibilities, saying, "Do they honestly think they can win the championship? Let them keep dreaming."

The players within Millwall began to pick up on Aldrich's unusual demeanor.

Over the next week, the atmosphere at Millwall's training ground felt stifling. Everyone wanted to know where Richards was and why Aldrich looked so gloomy.

In the midweek match at Wembley, Aldrich fielded a team of substitutes against Norway's Brann, as they held a four-goal advantage from the first leg. Brann began to acknowledge Millwall's strength, making for a lackluster return fixture. Millwall scraped through with a narrow victory to book their place in the semi-finals.

Before the weekend league match, the draw for the UEFA Cup had been announced, and Millwall was set to face a formidable opponent.

The defending champions: Paris Saint-Germain.

Aldrich didn't seem fazed; after all, whoever it was, they had to be unafraid to face all challengers if they wanted to win the title.

That weekend, they would host the League Cup champions, Leicester City.

Under Martin O'Neill, newly promoted Leicester City had been performing exceptionally well, achieving promotion within six months of taking over, and early in their Premier League debut, they secured enough points to ensure survival, also winning the League Cup—this young manager, mentored by Brian Clough, had made a sensational impact.

The day before the clash with Leicester City, Aldrich gathered all the players at the training ground, with Richards standing beside him in a suit.

The entire team looked on curiously at Richards.

What's with the suit?

Once everyone had arrived, Aldrich gestured for Richards to step forward. Facing his teammates, he struggled to keep his tone calm.

"I'm really sorry, guys, that I can't be on the court with you anymore."

"Why? Do you want to transfer?"

Materazzi asked bluntly. He and Richards are a close bench duo, and their team relationship has always been strong.

Ultimately unable to control his emotions, tears welled in Richards' eyes as he shook his head, choking on words, "No, I… I have a rare illness, and I can't play anymore. But I will stay here. The boss will guide me to become a coach. That will also be good. When I join the first-team coaching staff, you will have to listen to me, haha, ha…"

As he concluded, he forced a smile, two streams of tears rolling down to drip onto the grass below.

All the players were left astonished.

Materazzi stepped forward and wrapped Richards in a tight embrace. Richards finally lost control, bursting into tears while surrounded by all his teammates.

Aldrich turned away, closing his eyes to suppress his own tears.

The next morning, Millwall held a press conference where Aldrich announced that Dean Richards was temporarily stepping away from the pitch due to health reasons.

He didn't explicitly say that Richards would be retiring, yet if the rare illness couldn't be cured within the next two to three years, it was clear Richards would never have the chance to return to the top level.

The news sent shockwaves through English football.

Though Dean Richards was a substitute at Millwall, his performances had caught the attention of insiders. Given his youth, the media even speculated that if he received stable playing opportunities and continued to improve, in four or five years, as the likes of Adams aged into the twilight of their careers, Richards could become an important figure on England's next generation of defense.

Yet no one expected this promising central defender would see his career come to an end before turning 23. Aldrich's usage of "temporarily stepping away" at the press conference couldn't mask the prevailing belief that Richards had likely lost the chance to become a top player.

In the time that followed, details of Richards' departure from the pitch due to "health reasons" emerged, lamenting how fate had deprived talent. Meanwhile, commendations poured in for Millwall's humane management practices; Richards' illness was merely a symptom, and no one could guarantee that football wouldn't impact his health, but Millwall chose not to risk their players' well-being.

Richards subsequently remained at the club as a coach, starting with the youth team. After two and a half years, he finally discovered the cause of his illness and underwent eight months of treatment in the U.S. following his recovery. However, he could only announce his permanent retirement from the pitch and continued to serve as a coach at Millwall.