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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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 final whistle was just seconds away when Jamal's desperate clearance flew out of the box, breaking the last thread of Chelsea's attack. As the whistle blew, Wembley's floodlights burned, the crowd's roar a seismic quake. Players dropped to their knees, gasping for breath, sweat mixing with the cold night air. Crawley's red corner erupted in wild celebration, heroes born in a single, fierce moment. But beneath the cheers, exhaustion settled in, and extra time loomed ahead. The battle was far from over.


For a few tense minutes, players huddled around coaches, grabbing water and gasping for air. The referee checked his watch, the floodlights glowing brighter against the dark sky. Fans held their breath, the roar simmering into an expectant hush. Could Crawley defy the odds, or would Chelsea's might crush their dream on the edge of eternity?


Chapter 90 - FA Cup Final [5]