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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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 referee's whistle blew at exactly 4:00 p.m. at Wembley. The match began under bright floodlights, making the field feel like a battlefield. The crowd roared—90,000 strong. Most of them were Chelsea fans, chanting "Chels-ea! Chels-ea!" in waves of blue. In one corner, Crawley's smaller but passionate group shouted back, "Craw-ley! Craw-ley!"


The field was slick with dew and sweat, the air filled with the smell of grass and tension. Max, Crawley's striker and captain, hovered near Chelsea's goal, determined and focused. Thiago sprinted down the right wing, his ribbon flying, full of fight. Luka held the midfield steady, remembering the plan he'd drawn on a napkin. Niels stood on the sidelines, wristband bright red, whispering to Milan, "They're frustrated. Now's our chance."


Chapter 89 - FA Cup Final [4]