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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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.

Crawley Town's unforgettable 2-1 win over Aston Villa, sealed by Thiago's goal deep in extra time, didn't just stun the football world, it launched them straight into the FA Cup final against Chelsea. 


But that incredible moment came with a heavy price.


Sitting third in League Two with 76 points just three behind Bournemouth Crawley's hopes for promotion were burning bright. 


Yet only 48 hours after their Wembley triumph, they were back on the road, heading to Lincoln City's Sincil Bank for a tough league match. 


Around 8,000 fans filled the stadium, with 1,000 Crawley supporters turning one end into a proud sea of red.


With just six games left in the season, manager Niels faced a tough choice: keep chasing the historic cup dream, manage the players' tired bodies, and keep their promotion hopes alive. Could Crawley find the strength to push on? 


Chapter 73 - Battle for the Promotion