Alex walked into the Arsenal training ground. His body was sore. His head was still spinning.
He was not just "The Professor" anymore. He was "England Under 21s The Professor". He had beaten the German machine. He was, for a day, a national hero.
But today was Monday. He was back at his club. And he was just... Alex.
He limped a little. His ankle was still bruised from the Germany game. He walked into the first team locker room at seven forty nine in the morning. "Bastian early".
The room was quiet. Bastian was there, of course. He was drinking coffee and reading a German newspaper. He looked up.
"Professor," he grunted. "You are back. You were not a duck. I saw the game. The 'double trap'. It was smart. Good."
"Thanks, Bastian," Alex said, feeling a huge wave of pride.
Harry, the captain, walked in, whistling. "Ah, the international hero returns! We saw you, Alex. You made that Chelsea kid, James, look very silly. Again. He is going to hate you."
