Chapter 90

The Ritz Hotel often had gentlemen and celebrities coming and going, which was nothing out of the ordinary. It was also not surprising to encounter the Italian, Armani, or Aldridge here.

After Aldridge gestured with his hand, Armani sat down in the empty seat next to him. The three辣妹, Victoria, Harriet, and Emma, lowered their heads and gathered together, exclaiming in unison: "Armani! Oh, my God!"

"Are you here for a cruise tour?"

Aldridge's expression remained unchanged. In London, he could meet many celebrities. If he wished, he could attend various events and banquets with his older brothers, expanding his social circle to include the entertainment, political, and business circles.

"No, I'm here to prepare for the autumn fashion show. Today, I'm having dinner with a few models."

Following Armani's gaze, Aldridge saw a group of dazzling young women sitting at a nearby table. A few of them smiled and winked at him, unsure whether it was to please their boss or Aldridge.

Aldridge收回 his gaze and nodded, saying, "Understood, Mr. Armani. To be frank, what brings you to me? Do you want to hire them as models?"

Armani smiled and said, "I can't afford them. Their appearance fee is enough for a team's annual budget. I'm here for you, Mr. Hall. In London, I casually flipped through different newspapers and saw that your media presence is very high. Some people are born to be models, and I believe you are one of them. Standing by the football field, you hold your head high, not only without the restlessness of a young person, but also exuding a charm that is hard to describe, making it impossible to look away. Men would want to emulate you because it makes them more attractive to women."

The辣妹 group became excited again, not expecting that a big shot like Armani knew about them.

But Aldridge raised a faint smile and said straightforwardly, "Mr. Armani, thank you for the compliment, but you haven't answered my question."

"Would you like to endorse Armani men's clothing?"

"I don't have time to shoot ads, and I wear suits except in winter when I wear coats."

"No need to shoot ads. You will appear on camera every weekend wearing Armani suits, and in winter, Armani coats. Of course, if you wish, we can provide casual wear for free. In your daily life, you can wear whatever you like. I think the British paparazzi will occasionally put you on the gossip headlines."

Aldridge smiled silently upon hearing this.

The endorsement fees for football stars would continue to rise, thanks to the development of broadcasting technology and the promotion of football culture. Unlike film and television stars, the media presence of sports stars is fixed. For example, football stars almost always appear on camera every weekend, whether they perform well or poorly, they are always the focus.

What about film and television stars? TV series are not continuously replayed, and the cycle of movies is too long. Variety shows that require high exposure are not necessarily liked by everyone. In Britain, football is the most popular entertainment program, appealing to men, women, and children, with the widest audience base.

Aldridge turned around and pointed to the left upper corner of the suit he was wearing, where the Millwall club emblem was. He said, "One last condition: the suits or coats made for me must have the Millwall club emblem."

Armani nodded after a moment of thought, "Agreed. This will make your attire more unique and attract more attention."

The Millwall club emblem represents a football club, not a clothing brand, so there is no conflict of commercial interests. Armani found it easy to accept. On the contrary, a head coach who wears a suit with the club's emblem would be more attractive, unique, and different.

Aldridge took out a fountain pen from his suit pocket, wrote a phone number on a napkin, and handed it to Armani, saying, "Please discuss the endorsement fee with him, Andrew Hall, my brother."

"Alright, see you later."

Armani took the napkin and got up to leave.

As soon as he left, Emma asked excitedly, "Aldridge, why aren't you excited at all? That's Armani, Giorgio Armani!"

Aldridge picked up his glass and took a sip of water, saying calmly, "If I showed him respect and then became distant, he wouldn't have approached me for an endorsement. He wants my confidence and maturity. Besides, if I met Maradona here, I might be excited, but seeing him, I'm sorry, I've met a few celebrities, and I've never been interested in fashion."

"You're so boring!"

"Thanks, I don't like being a clown in others' eyes."

"Are you calling me a clown?"

"No, I'm just past the age of idol worship."

"You're younger than me!"

"But I'm more mature mentally."

"You!"

Emma gritted her teeth in anger, while Victoria teased, "Aldridge, if you keep arguing with her, your maturity will disappear."

Aldridge nodded in agreement, "Exactly, if I keep arguing, I'll be on her level. Ladies, it's getting late. I should go home to rest. Let me call a cab for you."

After leaving the Ritz Hotel, Aldridge said goodbye to them one by one. Before leaving, Melanie smiled at him, "I'm waiting for you in Liverpool."

"Let's not, your whole family won't be happy."

"Hmph, what are you so proud of? Liverpool isn't Arsenal, and you won't take a win so easily, especially at Anfield."

"We'll see."

After sending off the five辣妹, Aldridge drove home.

The next day, Aldridge received a call from Andrew at home. The endorsement deal with Armani was settled, with a one-year contract and a £500,000 endorsement fee, which was not low for that era. Aldridge agreed. Two days later, Armani sent a tailor to measure Aldridge's height and size, and then they returned, waiting for the custom-made clothing to be delivered.

In the second round of the Premier League, Arsenal lost at the Lion's Den, Liverpool lost away to Leeds United, and Blackburn Rovers, the defending champions, lost away to Sheffield Wednesday. These matches were highly anticipated. Manchester United defeated West Ham United and got back on track, while Newcastle United led the league with two consecutive wins.

Because there was a League Cup match in the middle of the week against Grimsby in the English Fourth Division, Aldridge prepared to substitute in the fourth round of the Premier League to challenge the defending champions, Blackburn Rovers. Therefore, he placed great importance on the third round away match at Anfield.

He started studying tactics from midweek, repeatedly analyzing the videos of Liverpool's first two matches of the season, and then formulating corresponding strategies.

Although they won the Second Division title last season, the young players in the team had nothing to show for it in terms of honors. After drawing with Manchester United and defeating Arsenal, their training attitude became even more serious, hoping to prove themselves on the Premier League stage.

When the weekend arrived, Aldridge led the team to Merseyside.

This port city had a unique charm, but Millwall had no time to appreciate it. They arrived at Anfield by bus, warmed up, and returned to the dressing room to prepare. When it was time to go out, Aldridge said nothing.

The Liverpool team, wearing their traditional red jerseys, were already waiting in the players' tunnel. As the Millwall players walked out, Aldridge followed them and stopped in front of a sign on the wall before the stairs.

He looked up at the sign, called Larsen over, and asked softly, "Henrik, what does it say?"

Larsen looked at the sign with the Liverpool emblem. The Liverpool players nearby had arrogant expressions, as if saying, "Country bumpkins, you don't even know this?"

"This is Anfield!"

Larsen said it plainly.

Aldridge scratched his ear and muttered, "What did you say?"

"Boss, this is Anfield!"

Larsen repeated it loudly, and the players behind him all lifted their heads to look at the sign.

Aldridge said solemnly, "That's right, this is Anfield! A great stadium, a great legacy left by the great Bill Shankly for Liverpool. Here, Liverpool has won four European Cups and holds the most titles in the English top division. Henrik, what would it feel like to take a win from here?"

Larsen chuckled and said loudly, "Unbelievable!"

The entire Millwall team burst into laughter.

"Unbelievable, unbelievable, so, in ninety minutes, we'll take this unbelievable feeling home. This is Anfield, I love it, thank Liverpool for providing the stage. Millwall, tell me, what should we do now?"

"Charge! Charge! Charge! Millwall!"

The entire team shouted in unison, a slogan they were already accustomed to in training.

Aldridge turned and walked down the stairs, passing by the stunned Liverpool players, and patted Jamie Redknapp's shoulder, saying with a smile, "Jamie, do well today. If you see your father, tell him to watch today's match. Millwall will play West Ham United the same way, and he should shut up. Frank and Rio have already forgotten about West Ham United."

Jamie Redknapp was speechless, completely at a loss for words.

His father, the current West Ham United manager, Harry Redknapp, was known as "Old Redknapp" to distinguish him from Jamie, "Young Redknapp."

Seeing the spirited Millwall players, the Liverpool players couldn't help but think of another London team: Wimbledon.

They were a group of thugs, and Millwall, rumored to be a group of hooligans.

Damn London teams!

PS: Thanks to "Yue Yin Bie Li" for the tip!

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