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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

A cold breeze blew across Broadfield Stadium, while the muddy pitches caught the soft morning light breaking through the clouds over Crawley.


Niels arrived early, his boots scraping the gravel as the air smelled of wet grass and morning mist. A quiet energy buzzed inside him, the weight of the day's tasks sharpening his focus.


Paul Pogba's medical would take center stage that morning, while Luke Freeman's loan deal hung in the balance, its outcome crucial. With the fixtures coming soon, these signings could define Crawley's year.


Niels gripped his notebook, its pages filled with tactical sketches and notes on Pogba and Freeman, their names underlined in red ink potential cornerstones for a squad eager to prove itself.


The roar of the crowd echoed in his chest, even in the quiet moments. It wasn't just the game; it was everything behind it the sweat, the struggle, the weight of a town that didn't know how to give up.


Chapter 117 - Medicals and Decisions