The evening of June 29 was an emotionally mixed night for Barton.
On that night, he broke a 406-day goal drought and helped his team to a 3-0 victory, their first home win of the season!
That night, he received the news of his father's death......
Patton's father's cancer and the recent deterioration of his condition are in the hands of Barton and the Tianjin Jinmen Tigers.
After the FA Cup match against Yunnan Yukun, Barton took a leave of absence from the team and returned to Yantai to accompany his seriously ill father for one night before returning to the team to welcome the two rounds of league games away against Nantong and home against Shenzhen.
In the last round of away games against Nantong Zhiyun, Barton fought for 90 minutes until he was exhausted.
In this round of home against Shenzhen Xinpeng City, the coaching staff asked Barton to be on standby, on the one hand, to consider his physical condition, and on the other hand, to let Barton exert force in the second half of the more likely goal.
Barton lived up to expectations and broke the goal drapeutic, and Barton burst into tears after the goal, and the fans were all moved.
Yu Genwei
Head coach of Tianjin Jinmen Tigers football team
It's a sense of the pressure he's under, and it's also a testament to the responsibility he has for this team and for this city. In fact, if it weren't for these two factors, I don't think he would have had the same performance as he did after scoring today. Barton is a good player, but in the league, sometimes there are some ups and downs for individuals and teams, and hopefully it won't be too big. I think it will help him a lot today to finish his first goal of the season, mentally, in terms of form, and hopefully he can continue to be in this good form.
After breaking the demons, Barton repeatedly threatened the opponent's goal, and was highly praised by Yu Genwei's guidance.
However, it was only after Barton himself and the club returned to the dressing room after the game that they learned the sad news of Barton's father's death.
Early the next morning, Barton returned to Yantai. In the afternoon, Wang Jun, the leader of the Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, and Sun Jianjun, the coach, arrived in Yantai to offer condolences on behalf of the Tianjin Sports Bureau, the Tianjin Tigers Football Club, all the members of the Tianjin Tigers, as well as all the Tianjin fans who care about and love Barton.
Barton's father was a football fan and a guide for Barton on his football path.
Barton's older brother also practiced as a child, but for various reasons, he did not embark on a professional path.
Barton (back row, second from right)
When Barton was 11 years old, there was a family discussion about his upbringing.
Mom thinks that Barton, who has good grades, should concentrate on his studies, after all, the road to football is not easy, and his brother has not succeeded.
However, both his father and brother were very supportive of Barton moving to Beijing to receive more professional football training.
In the end, Barton continued to pursue his football dream in Beijing with his love for football, which led to Barton, who is now an important member of the Jinmen Tigers.
Regarding his father's "smashing pot and selling iron" to support him to embark on the road of football, Barton said in an interview, "Shandong people may still be a little machismo, but in the end they still listen to my dad, he said that the child wants to go out and break through, and it has been until now." In fact, he saw it quite well, and it was quite successful. ”
Barton (back row, second from left)
From being selected for the national security echelon, to lending Meizhou Hakka, to returning to Guoan to show his edge, until he shared the glory and disgrace with the Jinmen Tigers and grew into an international player, Barton is inseparable from the selfless support of his father and other family members along the way.
It is worth mentioning that despite being promoted to the international level, Barton still listens carefully to the advice of his fan father many times, "I am more convinced when he gives me advice, more often because he has watched football for decades, I think his understanding of football is okay, sometimes he says it very well." He is also good for me, and on the premise of being good for me, I feel that there are some things that should be listened to and listened to! ”
In the first seven rounds of the season, Barton provided four assists for his team-mates, and in the following period, Barton was consistent in his diligence and hard work, although his form was up and down and he was unable to participate in the scoring.
In the rematch with the Shenzhen team, Barton finally broke the goal drought, and for his father, who loved football, Barton's excellent performance was undoubtedly the best way to comfort the elderly.
The death of the old man has left Barton without a staunch supporter on the road to football.
Now Barton also needs everyone's support and care even more.
Perhaps from the outside world's point of view, the best way is to give Barton time and space.
May the old man go all the way! May Barton turn his grief into strength and pass on his father's love for football.