The Nottingham Forest youth training facility buzzed with energy as thirty-odd teenagers warmed up on the pristine grass pitches. Cruyff arrived early, his boots clicking against the concrete pathway as he made his way toward the changing rooms. The familiar scent of freshly cut grass and morning dew filled his nostrils—a smell that had once been his whole world.
[Daily Quest Activated]
[Objective: Complete first training session with 85%+ pass accuracy]
[Bonus Objective: Create 3+ clear chances for teammates]
[Reward: +2 Vision, +1 Passing Accuracy, Unlock: "Training Ground Genius" ability]
He smiled at the system's timing. Even in training, it pushed him to excel.
"Jensen!" A gruff voice called out. Tony Williams, the U18 head coach, approached with a clipboard in hand. "Ready for your first proper session?"
"More than ready, coach."
Williams studied him for a moment. "Good. You impressed yesterday, but trials are one thing. Training with the lads day in, day out—that's different. They know each other's games. You're the outsider."
Cruyff nodded respectfully, though internally he almost laughed. In his previous life, he'd trained with players like Aubameyang, Lacazette, and Saka. These teenagers, talented as they might be, were playing a different sport entirely.
The session began with possession drills—simple passing exercises designed to build rhythm and touch. Cruyff moved through them effortlessly, his passes crisp and purposeful. But it was during the small-sided games that he truly began to showcase his ability.
"Cruyff, you're with the yellows," Williams called out, pointing to a group of five players wearing yellow bibs. The opposing team included Marcus Reid, the striker who'd been on the receiving end of his assists during the trial.
As they lined up, Cruyff quickly assessed his teammates. Jamie Torres, a wiry winger with quick feet but poor decision-making. Danny Walsh, a defensive midfielder who played it safe but had excellent positioning. Alex Hartwell, a center-back who fancied himself as a ball-playing defender but lacked the vision. And finally, Ben Crawford, a pacey left-winger with raw talent but a tendency to drift out of games.
The game began at a frantic pace. Within thirty seconds, Cruyff had already spotted three different passing lanes that his teammates missed. He intercepted a loose pass in midfield and immediately looked up.
Jamie was wide right, calling for the ball. The obvious pass. But Cruyff saw something better—Ben making a diagonal run behind the defense, his pace taking him clear of the last defender. Without hesitation, he struck the ball with the outside of his right foot, curling it perfectly into his path.
Ben controlled it beautifully but blazed his shot over the crossbar.
"Unlucky, Ben!" he called out, applauding. In his mind, he was already cataloging his tendencies. Left-footed, prefers to cut inside, gets nervous when one-on-one with the keeper. Information he could use.
[Chance Created: 1/3]
[Pass Accuracy: 96%]
The game continued, and Cruyff began to orchestrate. Not in the obvious way—not by demanding the ball or shouting instructions—but through subtle positioning and perfectly weighted passes. He drifted into pockets of space, always available, always two steps ahead of the play.
In the fifteenth minute, he received a simple square pass from Danny. Three opponents converged on him, but Cruyff had already seen Alex making an overlapping run from deep. A simple drag-back created half a yard of space, and he threaded a pass through the tightest of gaps. Alex found himself clean through on goal, one-on-one with the keeper.
He scored.
"Jesus, Cruyff!" Alex shouted, running back with arms raised. "How did you see that?"
[Chance Created: 2/3]
Tony Williams scribbled something on his clipboard, his expression unreadable.
The third chance came just before the session's end. Ben had possession on the left wing, looking frustrated as two defenders blocked his path to goal. Most players would expect him to try and beat them both or play it safe with a backwards pass.
Cruyff saw a third option.
He made a late run to the edge of the penalty area, calling for the ball. As Ben hesitated, he gestured with his hand—not toward himself, but toward the far post where Jamie had ghosted in unmarked. Ben caught the signal immediately and whipped in a perfect cross. Jamie's header crashed against the crossbar, but the keeper was beaten.
[Chance Created: 3/3]
[Daily Quest Completed!]
[Rewards: Vision +2 (59/100), Passing Accuracy +1 (71/100)]
[New Ability Unlocked: "Training Ground Genius"]
[Training Ground Genius: Your teammates learn 25% faster when training with you]
As the players gathered for the debrief, Williams addressed the group.
"Right, good session overall. But I want to talk about something specific." His eyes found Cruyff. "Watch Jensen during those small-sided games. Notice how he doesn't just pass the ball—he passes it with purpose. Every touch has meaning. That's what separates good players from great ones."
Marcus Reid, the striker from the trial, raised his hand. "Coach, he made three or four chances for us in twenty minutes. In a real match, at least one of those goes in."
"Exactly." Williams tapped his clipboard. "Creating chances is the hardest skill in football. Anyone can run around, anyone can tackle, most can shoot. But seeing the pass that others don't? That's special."
After training, as the players headed to the changing rooms, Ben jogged up beside Cruyff.
"That signal you gave me for Jamie's header—how did you know he'd be there?"
Cruyff glanced at him, noting the genuine curiosity in his eyes. "Body language. Jamie always checks his shoulder when he's about to make a run. Plus, their left-back had been ball-watching all session. I knew he wouldn't track the movement."
Ben stared at him like he'd spoken in a foreign language. "You saw all that in real time?"
"You will too, eventually. It just takes practice."
[Training Ground Genius Activated: Ben Crawford's Learning Rate increased by 25%]