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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

Friday morning arrived with a restless start, following a week of tension. Broadfield Stadium buzzed with anticipation, the training pitches wet from overnight dew, and dark rain clouds filled the sky.


Niels drove into the training ground, the tires of his pickup crunching on the damp gravel. The air was thick with the smell of wet earth and coffee from a nearby van.


Inside, he felt a mix of hope and pressure, the match against Preston could either spark Crawley's season or push them further into doubt.


The media's criticism hadn't softened, Friday's papers hit hard: "Crawley's Stumble Continues, Can Niels Find the Spark?" and "Midfield Muddle Dooms Niels' Dream."


The jabs hit hard, but Niels could sense a change in the squad, a determination to prove the doubters wrong after Thursday's dinner.


Chapter 128 - Chasing the Breakthrough