Nicholas Marjan, known as Niels, was an Asian football-obsessed loner in the modern world. A master of FIFA Career Mode, addicted to YouTube tactics videos, and followed every twist of the transfer window like it was life or death, he lived the beautiful game from behind a screen.
Until the day he died.
And woke up in the late 2000s, in the body of a once-promising young player at a lower-league English club. A player whose career had been cut short by a brutal ACL injury. With his playing career over before it could truly begin, his second life offers no glory on the pitch.
But Niels still has one weapon: his mind.
Armed with future knowledge of football's evolution, and guided by a mysterious, almost cheat-like instinct for scouting raw talent, Niels steps into the world of coaching. As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.
His methods are unorthodox. His instincts, uncanny. And soon, whispers about the "young coach with a gift" begin to spread.
This isn’t the story of a player chasing glory. It’s about someone reborn to change the game from the sidelines. From forgotten training grounds to Europe’s biggest stages, Niels is on a mission, 
not just to win, but to rewrite what it means to lead.
He once dreamed of lifting trophies as a player.
Now, he'll do it as a coach.

The whistle cut through the night at 8:30 p.m., and Upton Park shook with the roar of 30,000 West Ham fans chanting, "Bubbles!"


Their claret-and-blue scarves flooded the stands like a tidal wave, trying to drown out the 2,000 Crawley supporters.


But the Reds' voices rose back defiantly, shouting, "We are Crawley!" their red scarves blazing like fire in the away end.


At the 48th minute, Julien Faubert sent a dangerous cross curling into the box. Carlton Cole rose for a header, but it sailed just wide.


Adam Fletcher's sharp shout, "My ball!" steadied the defense, and Crawley's fans let out a collective breath, cheering, "Fletch-er!", their voices a lifeline in the storm.


Niels clapped loudly from the touchline. "Stay focused and leave no gaps, lads!" His heart pounded as West Ham's relentless pressure crashed against Crawley's unbreakable will.


Chapter 66 - The Final Gamble