Chapter 21: Stealing — Counterattack
Sam Parker stood near the center circle with a smug grin spread across his face.
The boos from the stands sounded wonderful to him.
Especially when he saw Joshua Smith calmly walking toward the technical area without changing expression.
After a brief handshake with Port Vale's manager, Joshua sat quietly on the bench as the noise rolled down from the stands.
Sam Parker sneered internally.
Serves you right.
The supporters hate you.
You arrogant bastard.
But not everyone inside Kenilworth Road shared that feeling.
Jamie Vardy certainly didn't.
Standing over the ball at kickoff, Vardy's face looked colder than ever.
The boos directed toward Joshua had ignited something inside him.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes drifted toward the Port Vale goal.
These idiots know nothing.
Nothing.
They had no idea what kind of manager Luton now possessed.
And today—
They would learn.
The boos gradually faded.
Even many Luton supporters felt uncomfortable continuing them once the match was about to begin.
No matter how skeptical they felt toward Joshua Smith, openly booing their own manager before the opening whistle still crossed a line for many traditional English supporters.
Back at the training ground across town, old Maggs sat inside the security booth listening to the match broadcast on a small radio.
The commentator's voice crackled through the speakers.
"…Joshua Smith received a mixed reaction from the supporters before kickoff…"
Maggs snorted angrily.
"Ungrateful fools."
No one at the training base understood Joshua's work better than him.
The sleepless nights.
The endless tactical sessions.
The detailed individual training plans.
Maggs had watched it all firsthand.
And now the fans were turning on the man before a single league match had even been played.
Madness.
The radio continued.
"…Compared to last season, Luton's lineup has changed dramatically. Only captain Kevin Keane and central defender George Parker remain regular starters from the previous core…"
"…Goalkeeper Claude Rondo starts behind a defense of Mitchell Piran, George Parker, Jeffrey Bruma, and Solo Davis…"
"…In midfield, N'Golo Kanté partners Danny Drinkwater centrally, with Kevin Keane on the right and Lewis Emmanuel on the left…"
"…Up front, Jamie Vardy starts alongside Charlie Austin…"
"…Joshua Smith has assembled one of the youngest squads in League Two…"
Maggs leaned back comfortably in his chair.
His eyes narrowed with satisfaction.
Young?
Maybe.
But weak?
Absolutely not.
At Kenilworth Road, the referee finally blew the whistle.
The new season had officially begun.
Luton kicked off.
Jamie Vardy lightly rolled the ball to Charlie Austin before immediately spinning forward into space.
Beside him, Charlie flexed his wrists nervously.
The tension in his body was obvious.
Vardy noticed immediately.
"Relax, Charlie," he muttered.
Charlie glanced sideways.
"You're not nervous?"
Vardy grinned.
"Nervous?"
His eyes burned with excitement.
"I've spent years waiting for this chance."
"How can I waste time being nervous?"
Then he pointed toward the Port Vale goal.
"I'm excited."
Drinkwater received the ball from Austin and immediately lifted his head.
Without hesitation—
He launched a direct pass toward the space behind Port Vale's defense.
Exactly as they had rehearsed.
Exactly as Joshua had drilled repeatedly during preseason.
Port Vale's center-back reacted quickly and headed the ball clear.
But before the second ball could fall safely—
A small figure appeared underneath it.
N'Golo Kanté.
The French midfielder controlled the loose ball instantly.
Without delay, he moved the possession left toward the advancing Solo Davis.
Davis attempted to drive forward aggressively but lost control under pressure from Port Vale's midfielder.
The away fans cheered.
A counterattack opportunity appeared.
But before Port Vale's midfielder could even turn—
Kanté arrived again.
Like a shadow.
A thief.
The tackle was clean.
Precise.
Effortless.
The ball belonged to Luton once more.
The crowd reacted immediately.
Even the commentator sounded surprised.
"…Another interception from Kanté!"
"…That's two recoveries in less than a minute!"
"…At the very least, this young midfielder already looks capable of playing at League Two level!"
Inside the security booth, Maggs laughed loudly.
"You've seen nothing yet."
On the touchline—
Joshua had already stood up.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
This was the moment.
The exact situation Luton trained for every single day.
Port Vale had pushed forward after winning possession moments earlier.
Their defensive structure had stretched.
Their midfield was exposed.
And Joshua's tactical philosophy relied on one thing above all else—
Immediate punishment after regaining the ball.
Kanté didn't hesitate.
He passed directly into Charlie Austin's feet.
Austin understood instantly.
One touch.
Backward layoff.
Drinkwater arrived perfectly.
Again—
One touch.
No hesitation.
A sharp through ball split Port Vale's defensive line completely open.
And suddenly—
Jamie Vardy was through.
One-on-one.
Kenilworth Road collectively held its breath.
Vardy charged forward at terrifying speed.
The goalkeeper rushed out desperately.
But Vardy remained ice-cold.
One touch to steady himself.
Then—
A low right-footed finish driven hard into the far bottom corner.
GOAL!!!
For a split second, the stadium froze.
Then it exploded.
The Luton bench erupted first.
John Aston punched the air wildly.
Substitutes leaped from their seats.
David Morton nearly spilled his drink in the executive box.
And Jamie Vardy—
The former factory worker.
The non-league striker nobody respected.
The player mocked by reporters and doubted by supporters—
Ran directly toward Joshua Smith.
Without hesitation, he threw his arms around the Jamaican manager.
Holding him tightly.
Because Vardy knew better than anyone what Joshua had given him.
A chance.
A future.
A professional career.
A dream that once felt impossible.
The supporters inside Kenilworth Road roared now.
The earlier boos had vanished completely.
At least for this moment—
Nobody cared where Joshua Smith came from.
Nobody cared about newspapers.
Nobody cared about doubts.
Luton Town led 1–0.
And the beginning of Joshua Smith's era had arrived with ruthless speed.
(End of Chapter 21)
Check out my Patreon for advance chapters
patreon.com/BIGBRAINJOSHUA