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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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 days following Crawley's narrow win over Leyton Orient passed in a blur of cold mornings and bruising drills.


The excitement from that late goal faded quickly, replaced by the pressure of what lay ahead.


Mist clung to the grass at Broadfield as players slogged through the wet turf, their boots squelching with every step.


But Niels didn't ease up. The Europa League group stage was fast approaching, and the draw had been brutal: Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, and Rosenborg.


Crawley wasn't ready for European competition yet. But despite that, they were on their way there anyway.


That looming challenge influenced every decision this week. The squad couldn't afford to lose ground in League One not now, especially with only a few points separating them from the top. But their legs were getting tired, and their minds were divided.


Chapter 138 - Fighting for Every Inch