Over the following month, Cruyff split his time between U18 training and weekly development squad sessions. The contrast was stark—dominant performances with his age group followed by humbling experiences against older players.
But gradually, patterns began to emerge.
At development level, the game was about margins. A pass that would be perfectly acceptable at U18 level was slightly too slow against more athletic defenders. A first touch that bought him two seconds against teenagers gave him barely one second against development squad pressing.
[Progress Tracking: Week 4 of Development Squad Training]
[Physical Stats Improving: Strength +3, Speed +2]
[Decision Making: Response time decreased by 0.7 seconds]
[Adaptation Rate: Steady improvement]
The breakthrough came during a particularly intense session in early December. Forest were practicing against a high press—a tactical scenario that had consistently troubled Cruyff in previous weeks.
As he received the ball from the center-back, Cruyff could feel Chris Davies approaching at pace. His instinct was to take a touch, assess his options, then distribute. But weeks of struggles had taught him that luxury didn't exist at this level.
Instead, he let the ball run across his body and played a first-time pass to Morrison on the right wing. Not spectacular, but effective. Morrison was able to advance with possession and create an attack.
"Better!" Coleman called out. "That's the tempo we need!"
[Small Victory: First-time passing under pressure]
[Tactical Adaptation: Beginning to show results]
But it was during a set-piece routine that Cruyff truly announced himself to the development squad. Forest were trailing 2-1 in a scrimmage when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area.
"Anyone fancy this?" Coleman asked.
The usual suspects stepped forward—Davies, Morrison, and Jake Russell. All had reasonable technique, but Cruyff had been studying the goalkeeper's positioning for weeks.
"Can I have a go?" he asked quietly.
Davies looked skeptical. "You sure, kid? This isn't like youth football. Keeper's six-foot-four and knows what he's doing."
"I've got an idea."
Coleman nodded. "Go on then."
Cruyff placed the ball carefully, took his usual run-up, and struck it with precision rather than power. The ball curled around the wall, dipping at exactly the right moment to beat the goalkeeper's dive.
Goal.
[First Development Squad Goal]
[Recognition: Significant step forward]
[Confidence: Majorly boosted]
"Bloody hell!" Russell shouted, jumping on Cruyff's back. "Where did that come from?"
Even Davies was impressed. "Fair play, kid. That was a proper finish."
[Teammate Respect: Earned through performance]
[Development Squad Chemistry: Improved to 58%]
Coleman approached him as they prepared for the next phase of training.
"That's more like it. You're starting to find your level here."
"Still feels like I'm fighting for every touch."
"That's because you are. But you're winning more battles now than you were a month ago."
The improvement was reflected in Cruyff's U18 performances as well. Having been tested against superior opposition weekly, returning to his age group felt like dropping down a gear. His decision-making was quicker, his play more direct when needed, his understanding of when to be patient and when to be urgent much sharper.
[Current Stats - Level 2 (Updated)]
[Vision: 75/100]
[Passing Accuracy: 82/100]
[Through Ball: 68/100]
[Free Kick: 58/100]
[Dribbling: 51/100]
[Physical: 48/100]
[Leadership: 35/100]
[Decision Making: 42/100] *New Stat*
Forest's next U18 match was away at Sheffield United, and Williams had promised the development squad coaches would be watching. It was an opportunity to show how his higher-level training was translating to match performance.
The game began typically—Sheffield pressing high, Forest looking to play through the lines. But Cruyff's approach was noticeably different from previous matches. Instead of always looking for the perfect pass, he mixed his game up. Sometimes the simple ball to Danny Walsh, sometimes the defense-splitting through ball to Marcus.
In the twenty-eighth minute, he created the opening goal through pure simplicity. Receiving the ball under pressure, he played a first-time pass wide to Jamie Torres rather than trying to turn and create something spectacular. Jamie's cross found Marcus unmarked in the penalty area.
1-0.
[Assist: Simple but effective]
[Development Squad Lessons Applied]
But it was his second assist that showed real growth. Sheffield had equalized and were pushing for a winner when Forest won possession in their own half. The obvious play was to clear the ball long and relieve pressure.
Instead, Cruyff spotted Ben Crawford beginning a run down the left wing. Rather than the spectacular through ball he might have attempted months earlier, he played a simple pass to Danny Walsh and pointed to where Ben was going.
Danny understood immediately and played the ball into Ben's path with perfect timing. Ben's pace took him clear of the defense, and his cross was converted by Marcus for his second goal of the game.
2-1 to Forest.
[Assist: Multi-pass combination showing tactical maturity]
After the match, Williams was effusive in his praise.
"That second goal—that's development squad thinking applied at U18 level. You're not trying to do everything yourself anymore. You're making the game easier for everyone."
Dave Coleman, who had indeed been watching from the stands, approached Cruyff after the game.
"Good performance today. I think you're ready for the next step."
"What do you mean?"
"Development squad match next week against Derby County. You're in the squad."
[Achievement Unlocked: Development Squad Selection]
[Next Challenge: First competitive match above U18 level]
[Career Progression: Significant milestone reached]
That evening, lying in his modest lodgings, Cruyff reflected on the journey from that first trial to this moment. The setbacks, the learning, the gradual adaptation—it all felt more earned than his natural talent ever had.
[System Assessment: Character Development]
[Growth Areas: Resilience, adaptability, tactical intelligence]
[Key Lesson: Natural ability must be coupled with continuous learning]
[Next Objective: Establish place in development squad matchday squads]
The path back to professional football was still long, but for the first time since his reincarnation, it felt genuinely achievable. Not through shortcuts or overwhelming talent, but through the patient process of earning every step forward.