Nine-hour drive from across the strait: Mother tells the ordinary childhood of the Red Devil s new star Yoro

When Flo Bogney took his three sons to visit Lenny Yoro in Manchester, the van's trunk was stuffed with the football shoes of his younger brothers and the French caramel pudding made by his mother. Romeo, 15, put his face on the car window and counted the waves of the English Channel. Eden, 13, was playing local football highlights from Lille on his tablet, while Esteban, 11, put his chin on the backrest of the driver's seat and asked over and over again, "How long will it take to get to his brother's house?" This nine-hour drive from Lille, France to Manchester, is like a mobile family class for the Bogni family: "The moment they said they closed the door, the adventure began." She turned the leather wrist guards on the steering wheel, which was the first time that Joro had received a gift from Ligue 1. "We want the children to know that the family of football stars also had to ferries and eat sandwiches in the service area. This is the real life." In the living room at 2 a.m. in France, Bogni's nails were deeply pinched into the armrest of the sofa. On the TV screen, Yoro, who had just joined Manchester United for 10 days, was covering his left ankle and leaving a crooked footprint on the turf of the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles. The transfer fee figure of £52 million was still flashing on the news banner, and the message "Mom, I'm OK" on her phone failed to send a message, piercing her heart like a needle. "I really hoped to get into the TV and hold his wounded feet in my hand." She rubbed the photo of Yoro on the coffee table when he was three years old. The boy in the photo was tiptoing to reach the chocolate in the refrigerator. "When he was in Lille, he went home after playing football. I just listened to the sound of the stairs and knew whether the training was going smoothly today. Now, across the strait, I can only count the time he liked his circle of friends to guess whether he slept."

The three-year-old Yoro was half a head taller than a child of the same age in St. Morris, Paris. The kindergarten teacher always mistakenly regarded him as a primary school student who came to pick up his sister. Father Alan tied an old T-shirt to a broom to make a goal, teaching him to shoot with left and right casters, while mother Bogny's apron pocket always contains band aids and orange juice. "This kid doesn't cry after falling down, gets up and pats the gray and continues to kick." She flips out a yellowed album with videos of Yoro's trial training at the Villeneufdask club when he was 12 years old - the boy wearing a big jersey was completing a 40-meter pass with his non-double feet. "When the coach called and said 'This kid should go to Lille', I was changing the diapers for Esteban, thinking it was a scam call."

In the cafeteria of Lille's youth training camp, Yoro, 15, pushed broccoli to the corner of the dining plate. "The nutritionist stares at him drinking protein powder. This kid can turn the cup for ten minutes," Bogni smiled and found out the chat record at that time. "I sent him a 'reward caramel pudding after eating', and he returned to the 'deal' in seconds - now in the Manchester United cafeteria, he will put the chicken breasts into a smile, saying that this is a 'mom's fat-reducing meal'." When other players were busy taking photos with their agents, Yoro's bedroom still had only PlayStation and the Labrador Retriever Luca's nest. The only decoration on the wall was the "brother's goalkeeper picture" painted by his younger brother Esteban. "Once a reporter asked him who his idol was, and he said 'my mom', which made the whole audience laugh." In the stands at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Bogni's mobile phone was shaking, and his three sons were holding the cardboard of "Joro Come on" looking for his brother. She remembered the night when Lyon was eliminated last year in the Europa League. After Yoro on TV blocked the sure-fire goal with his head, the blood marks on the eyebrows looked like a medal under the light. "The house was full of relatives, and my brother-in-law didn't even notice it," she touched the silver cross on her neck, which was the same style that Yoro wore during his debut. "Now he would send me a message before every appearance, and the content was always 'Mom, remember to eat' - it seems that the injured person should be me."

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She also remembered Thierry Henry's criticism of his son. After Manchester United lost 1-4 to Newcastle United this season, Henry, a legendary French striker and coach of Yoro in France's under 21 national team, commented on Yoro's performance without mercy. Bogney felt a little "sudden" in his heart, and he felt as if he was criticized by someone in person. After all, Henry had carefully guided Yoro in the national team, but now he is "spraying cold water" in public. But she quickly adjusted her mindset and understood that this was part of her son's football career: "He has the right to express his opinion. Lenny did not play well in that game. But as a mother, she still felt distressed when she heard these words. But the important thing is that Lenny can realize the problem and play better in the future. We have to calm down and not pass on negative emotions to the children." When the final whistle sounded, Bogny did not rush into the player's passage, but lowered his head and sent a voice to Yoro: "You blocked the shooting posture today, and you are three years old. Shipu Butterfly is exactly the same. "A few minutes later, my son's video request popped up. The background was the rain of champagne sprayed by his teammates, but she could see the worn electronic watch on Yoro's wrist - which he bought with pocket money on his 12th birthday. "He said wearing this is like playing football on Lille's playground." The sea breeze blew Bogney's scarf, and the lights of Old Trafford in the distance were reflected in her eyes. "Maybe he will become a legend one day, but here I am always the silly boy who dyes red socks pink."