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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

The glow of triumph hung in Crawley's crisp February air, the squad's 3-1 demolition of Cheltenham Town the night before a fire still roaring in their hearts. 


Thiago's blistering opener, Luka Radev's ice-cold finish, and Max Simons' towering header had whipped 2,500 fans into a frenzy at Broadfield Stadium, hoisting Crawley to fifth in League table. 


Tonight, they poured into The Black Dog, a weathered pub in Crawley's heart, to celebrate with fans, their laughter a shield against the challenges looming, their bond a flame to nurture.


The pub pulsed with life, fairy lights strung across oak beams casting a warm glow over scarred wooden tables crammed with supporters. 


Max, Luka, and Thiago squeezed into a booth, pints of cola sweating on coasters, while José Baxter held court near the bar, his Scouse tales of Cheltenham's keeper flailing drawing roars, "Bloke was lost in the net!" 


Chapter 50 - The Calm Before the Storm