Chapter Five: The Goalkeeper No Giant Wanted

competitive appearances in two years. Eight years earlier, Bell had been England's youngest goalkeeping prospect. After an error on a European penalty, the press declared him mentally fragile. From then on, whenever a match mattered, he found himself on the bench. Real Madeira would lend him for free, provided Harborbridge paid all his wages and accepted a compulsory two-million-pound purchase. They met at an airport hotel in Madrid. Bell came without an agent. He carried only a black notebook filled with penalty-takers' habits. Real Madeira's vice president pushed the loan agreement across the table. “A champion goalkeeper for no fee. You should be grateful.” Lin's fingertips landed on the paper. Red words surfaced beside the purchase clause.