After the match against Liverpool, the Dundee United team stayed at their hotel in Liverpool to rest for the time being and will return to Scotland early tomorrow morning to continue preparing for the new season.
However, the buzz surrounding Bruce's goal continues.
The discussion first arose on the Dundee United club's website and forums, where fans were talking about Bruce Lee's free kick.
"That goal was absolutely fantastic. Bruce Lee? That's a great name."
"I had already prepared the money for Anfield tickets, but after we lost 0-3 at home, I decided to use the money for something else meaningful instead of wasting it on England. But now I regret it so much. I missed the opportunity to witness such an epic goal in person."
"Although we lost the game, the fact that 17-year-old Bruce was able to score such a beautiful goal at Anfield means we've actually won the future."
"Hey man, don't forget, Bruce is still a Crystal Palace player."
"But we have a buyout clause, so he will be our player next season."
"Hey guys, we were watching the game at the fan bar, and just as Bruce was standing in front of the ball preparing to take the free kick, some idiot from next door suddenly rushed out and yelled, 'If your softie can score this free kick, I'll give you a live performance of acid washing!'"
"And then, as you know, Bruce was fantastic. That bastard is surrounded by our people right now, everyone's waiting for his performance. Apparently, someone's already gone to get sulfuric acid. If you want to see a good show, hurry up and come over..."
"Really?? Which bar??"
"The whole neighborhood is full of idiots..."
The last comment successfully steered the conversation off-topic.
The "next door" they referred to were the fans of Dundee FC, Dundee United's arch-rivals in Dundee.
Dundee FC is currently playing in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of the league. They were probably annoyed to see their city rivals competing in European competitions and wanted to make a name for themselves, but they ended up running into a brick wall.
Meanwhile, on the English side, Bruce's goal also sparked discussion, given that it was scored against Liverpool.
"That was truly a Beckham-esque free kick, especially against Liverpool. I think Manchester United's scouts need to make more trips to Scotland."
"And this guy, like David, became famous overnight. Back then, David also rose to fame quickly after scoring a beautiful goal in his first League One game while on loan."
"However, David's goal was more spectacular. It was his first game on loan at Preston, and he scored directly from a corner kick. That goal was much more difficult."
"But this guy, Bruce, is younger—he's only 17. David was already 19 when he was loaned out."
"Without a doubt, Crystal Palace has struck gold, as long as he doesn't suddenly lose form."
"I think I heard that Crystal Palace added a buy-out clause to the loan agreement. Are there any Crystal Palace fans who can confirm if this is true?"
"Haha, Crystal Palace fans probably don't have time to come here right now. They're reportedly besieging their club's official website, questioning why the club added a buy-out clause to the loan agreement."
"Without a doubt, the guy above is a Brighton fan; I can feel his schadenfreude even through the screen."
※※※
The next morning, before Bruce had even gotten out of bed, he received a call from Old John.
"Bruce? Still not up?"
"It's only 8 o'clock, John. I had a really tough game last night—how could I possibly get up early?"
"Haha, I'm so happy, Bruce. I wanted to call you last night, but I didn't want to disturb your sleep. I couldn't resist calling you as soon as I got up this morning."
"How was my goal last night? Wasn't it great?"
"Of course! It's only slightly worse than one of my free kicks back then."
…
After getting up and having breakfast, the entire Dundee United team prepared to head home.
The team's hard-earned European qualification was over in just two matches. But there was nothing they could do. Dundee United's overall strength was weak, and their draw had been extremely unlucky. They were paired in a death group with Liverpool, so their elimination was inevitable.
Perhaps, as Dundee United fans had said, the only good news was that they had discovered a promising young player like Lee Sung-long.
When Bruce left Dundee, he had been just an unknown loan player. But this time, when he returned, he had become the most popular player on the team.
"Bruce~~~Bruce!!!"
"Bruce, that was a fantastic goal!"
For a small team like Dundee United, anyone who scores against a powerhouse like Liverpool would immediately become a hero. At least, for a while.
Moreover, Bruce's goal was truly beautiful, winning over the Dundee United fans in just one game. Listening to the cheers of the fans around him, Bruce genuinely felt the thrill of becoming famous overnight.
※※※
The new season in Europe hasn't started yet, and the current focus is on the Champions League and UEFA Cup qualifiers. However, there aren't any influential giants in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, while Liverpool and Juventus are two big names in the UEFA Cup qualifiers. But it's almost a foregone conclusion that both teams will win, so there isn't much suspense.
The Premier League is undoubtedly the most watched league in the world. As a traditional powerhouse, Liverpool naturally has many fans worldwide. While journalists may simply report Liverpool's matches, the fans themselves are extremely invested in the team's performance.
Because this is Liverpool's first season in the post-Benítez era, no one knows what kind of results they can achieve.
"Who exactly is this Bruce?"
"That goal was spectacular. To unleash such a beautiful, curved shot from that distance really takes skill."
"His free-kick technique is flashy. Before striking, he twists his ankle twice. And I felt like he already thought it was a sure goal while the ball was still in the air and had started preparing to celebrate."
"Also, his goal celebration—punching the air with all his might—was pretty cool."
"Here it comes! According to information personally retrieved from websites by an expert, this Bruce was born in January 1993 and is only 17 years old. He came through the Crystal Palace youth academy in the English Championship and was just loaned to Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership this summer. This UEFA Cup qualifier against Liverpool marks his professional debut."
"He scored his first career goal on his debut with a direct free kick—at Anfield, no less. I think he can brag about that for the rest of his life."
"Wait, what about his other identities? What's his nationality?"
"These details haven't been clarified yet, as ethnicity isn't usually listed in official records. However, it is confirmed that he was born in London, England, and currently holds dual English and Scottish citizenship."
"Here's a photo of him at 12 years old, taken from the Crystal Palace website."