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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

Frost clung to the Broadfield Stadium training pitch, the January air sharp as Niels watched his Crawley Town squad drill for the FA Cup Fourth Round clash against Barnsley, now six days away. 


The 1-1 draw at Rochdale five days ago, Korey Henry's strike matched by a late equalizer, kept them seventh in League Two with 47 points, their resolve unbroken. But for the FA Cup, Barnsley's Championship pedigree a looming giant.


Morning started with a staff meeting in the club's cramped boardroom, the radiator's hum a faint comfort. 


Claire, the financial officer, stood by a whiteboard, her voice tight. "Rochdale's gate receipts added 30,000 pounds, but Thiago's 200,000-pound fee and Baxter's loan wages are squeezing us dry. Barnsley's TV deal could bring 100,000 pounds, Niels, but we need a win." 


Chapter 38 - Ready for Giants