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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

Chapter 39: Cup Fire Ignites (Vs. Barnsley Part-I)


FA Cup Fourth Round: Crawley Town vs. Barnsley


Broadfield Stadium thrummed with the roar of 12,000 fans, their red scarves a blazing tide under the January floodlights, as Crawley Town faced Barnsley in the FA Cup Fourth Round. 


Niels stood in the home dressing room, heart hammering, the weight of the moment pressing hard against his chest. 


The 1-1 draw at Rochdale days earlier, Korey Henry's goal a lifeline but momentum shaken, kept Crawley seventh in League Two, their FA Cup dream now a blazing beacon.


The dressing room was a furnace of nerves and grit, the air thick with liniment and raw anticipation. Niels faced his squad, Max Simons, Luka Radev, Korey Henry, Dev Patel, Nate Sutton, Jamal Osei, Tom Whitehall, Reece Darby, Adam Fletcher in goal, Thiago, and José Baxter starting, with Toby, Ilyas Kader, and Kieron Marsh on the bench. 


Chapter 39 - The Fourth Round Clash (Vs. Barnsley Part-I)