⚽ Football Reborn: The Manager from the Future
Chapter 13 – The Vardy Gambit: Building the Temporary Army
Ethan sat alone in his office at Darlington Football Club, the flickering monitor light casting long shadows over the stacks of training reports and player profiles. The storm was already rolling in—but he had a plan.
The future couldn't happen without the present surviving.
He opened the AI's Stopgap Stabilization Module again and began drawing up dossiers on young English talent that had slipped through the cracks of history.
Target: Jamie Vardy
Age: 16
Club: Stocksbridge Park Steels
Position: Striker
Projection: Late bloomer; elite pace and work rate
Cost: Free (trial offer)
Risk: Behavioral volatility; unpolished technicals
Target: Joe Hart
Age: 15
Club: Shrewsbury Town Youth
Position: Goalkeeper
Projection: Premier League caliber
Cost: £10,000 + education stipend
Risk: Inconsistent development curve
Target: Leighton Baines
Age: 17
Club: Wigan Athletic Youth
Position: Left-back
Projection: Consistent, durable, set-piece weapon
Cost: £25,000
Target: Aaron Lennon
Age: 14
Club: Leeds United Academy
Position: Winger
Projection: Speedster; needs confidence management
Cost: Loan + future transfer rights
This wasn't the dream team. Not yet. But it was the scaffolding—a foundation sturdy enough to hold the weight of Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar when they were ready.
Ethan's first stop was Stocksbridge, a small Yorkshire town where grit was more abundant than grass.
The pitch was more mud than turf. And in the middle of it, a teenager with peroxide-blond hair sprinted past defenders like a man who refused to be slow.
Jamie Vardy.
He wasn't graceful. He wasn't polished. But he had fire—the same kind Ethan saw in Ronaldo. Except Vardy's came from spite, not ambition.
After the match, Ethan cornered the manager.
"I want him for Darlington. Immediately. On a youth trial."
The manager scoffed. "You sure? He's a nutter. Got banned from the pub last week for chucking darts at a jukebox."
"I'm sure," Ethan replied. "He's exactly the kind of bastard I need right now."
By evening, Jamie had signed.
✅ Jamie Vardy: Emergency Youth Contract Signed
Training start: Immediate
Role: Substitute striker / pressing weapon
AI note: Do not try to tame him—unleash him.
Next stop: Shrewsbury.
Joe Hart was lanky, still growing into his gloves, but his shot-stopping instincts were uncanny. Ethan watched him in a local youth league match save three penalties in one game—one of them with his face.
He approached the boy's father after the match.
"Your son has a future in the Premier League."
"We know," he said. "Problem is, he's too impatient. Gets into scraps. Says he wants more 'real football.'"
Ethan smiled. "He'll get it at Darlington. Soon."
A week later, Leighton Baines and Aaron Lennon arrived at the Darlington training ground, both looking wide-eyed and confused.
"What is this place?" Lennon muttered to Baines.
"Looks like a haunted academy," Baines replied.
Ethan stepped out to greet them with a smirk. "It may look haunted now. But you'll help turn it into something unforgettable."
By Friday, the emergency squad had been assembled.
Greg walked into the office, holding the new squad list.
"You're really pulling them from everywhere now, huh?"
"I'm not building a team," Ethan said. "I'm building an ecosystem."
"You think these kids will save us from relegation?"
"No," Ethan said. "I know they will."
And then his phone buzzed.
A message from the AI:
⚠️ Warning: Chairman Dorsett has initiated background checks. Source: Local journalist.
Status: High alert. Timeline exposure risk increased.
Recommendation: Secure results immediately. Avoid media.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Pressure's rising," Greg said, watching his face.
Ethan nodded. "Then it's time we rise faster."
Saturday. Matchday.
Darlington vs. Barnet.
The stadium was half full, the energy tense, fans unsure whether to boo or believe.
Ethan paced the dugout. His new signings sat on the bench, nervous but electric. Joe Hart was starting in goal. Jamie Vardy was ready to come on in the second half.
By halftime, it was 0–0.
At the 55th minute, Ethan stood and pointed.
"Vardy. Lennon. Warm up."
They came on in the 60th minute.
In the 68th, Vardy pressed the Barnet defender, stole the ball, and fired it top corner.
The crowd exploded.
1–0.
In the 81st, Lennon burned the right flank, cut inside, squared it—and Vardy tapped in his second.
2–0.
Final whistle.
Victory.
In the locker room, the boys cheered, soaking each other with water bottles. Vardy yelled something about buying pints for the entire city.
Ethan just smiled.
The scaffolding had held.
Now, it was time to raise the kingdom.