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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

League Two Matchday: Notts County vs. Crawley Town


The Crawley Town squad's bus carved through the February mist, its engine a low growl as it traced the M1 north, a 130-mile trek to Meadow Lane, Notts County's stronghold. 


Five days after their 3-1 triumph over Cheltenham Town, the squad's fire still smoldered, Thiago's sharp opener, Luka Radev's cool finish, and Max Simons' towering header fueling their fifth-place climb in League Two.


The bus hummed with tension, seats creaking as the squad settled. Max Simons stared out at the passing fields, his Cheltenham header a quiet anchor. 


Thiago fiddled with earbuds, a samba tune leaking out, prompting Korey Henry's grin, "Thiago, save the dancing for their defenders!" Thiago's laugh, "haha, I dance they fall!" eased the mood, but Kieron Marsh, filling Nate's role, gripped his water bottle, eyes distant, his Cheltenham tackle a spark now dimmed by nerves. 


Chapter 51 - No Way Through