August 22, 2012 – Carrington Training Ground
The morning after his U21 debut, Alex woke up to a strange sound.
Not his alarm. Not his flatmate's snoring.
It was his phone, buzzing nonstop.
He squinted at the screen.
You have 18 new notifications.
Mostly group chats. Teammates, old schoolmates, even a message from a youth coach he hadn't spoken to in years.
He tapped open Twitter and froze.
"WHO IS ALEX MARSHALL?"
Teenage Playmaker Provides Assist in United U21 Debut Victory Over Everton
"A name to watch?"
"Precise. Calm. Intelligent.
Shadow of Scholes?"
— Manchester Football Weekly
Alex blinked. "Shadow of… Scholes?"
He nearly dropped the phone.
[System Alert: Reputation +3 (Local Media)]
New Tag: "Young Prospect"
Mentorship Notification: Paul Scholes has noted your performance.
Mentorship Path Unlocked: "The Silent Maestro" – Progress 1/5
At Carrington – Training Ground
He arrived early, but not early enough.
As he walked onto the pitch, Curtis Doyle was already doing dribbling drills. Alone. Sweating hard.
Alex gave him a polite nod.
Curtis didn't even blink.
"Good morning, Curtis."
Still nothing. The sound of boots hitting cones was louder than the silence between them.
[Rival Detected: Curtis Doyle]
Status: Slightly Hostile – Competitiveness +5% in shared matches
Hidden Stat Revealed: "Rivalry Energy" – Active in close performance comparisons
Coach McGuinness gathered the lads.
"We've got a tough week. Derby next Saturday. Some of you impressed against Everton. Keep it up, and you might find yourselves training with the reserves… or more."
Eyes flicked toward Alex. Jesse Lingard gave him a thumbs up behind the coach's back.
Curtis kicked a cone.
System Menu: Mentorship Dashboard
Alex opened the new tab during warm-down.
Available Mentorships:
Wayne Rooney – "The Relentless Striker" (Progress: 2/5)
Paul Scholes – "The Silent Maestro" (Progress: 1/5)
[Note: Completing Mentorship Paths grants permanent attribute traits] Examples: "Rooney's Core Strength," "Scholes' Passing Rhythm"
New Side Quest Available: "Earn the Mentor's Praise"Objective: Be verbally acknowledged by either mentor within a match week Reward: Trait Affinity Boost (x1.5 progress for 48 hours)
Alex smirked. "Alright, legends. Watch me then."
Meanwhile – First Team Analysis Room
Inside the first-team building, assistant coach René Meulensteen re-watch the U21 match footage.
Sir Alex Ferguson, arms crossed, watched in silence.
"Number 19 there," René said, pointing. "Marshall. Only played 30 minutes, but—look at this pass."
Alex's assist flashed again. Calm under pressure. Smart vision. The kind of talent that you couldn't teach.
Sir Alex nodded once.
"Who brought him in?"
"Local lad. Manchester born. Injury-prone a few years ago. But something's clicked."
Sir Alex smiled faintly. "Tell Rooney to keep an eye out."
Elsewhere – Rooney's POV
Wayne Rooney scrolled through his iPad while getting his ankles iced. Team analysts had flagged Alex's highlight.
He watched the assist. Then the goal from the Bolton friendly. Then a replay of Alex shouting at Curtis to make the run.
Rooney laughed.
"Cocky little sod."
He didn't say anything else.
But the System did.
[Mentor Update: Wayne Rooney's Interest Level +1] Progress 3/5 – Bonus Skill Path unlocked: "Power Through" (Lv. 1 Passive) Description: Slight strength buff when outnumbered or under pressure
Post-Training Drama
After training, Alex went to the recovery pool. Curtis was already there.
"Must be nice," Curtis muttered as Alex slid in. "Media writing articles about you. Coaches watching you. Rooney whispering your name."
Alex raised a brow. "You jealous?"
Curtis didn't flinch. "No. Just annoyed."
"Annoyed that I'm better?"
Curtis shot him a look — half fury, half respect.
"No. Annoyed that you might be."
For a moment, they were just two teenagers in freezing water, chasing dreams with fire behind their eyes.
[Rivalry Intensifies] Effect: Training speed increases by +5% when Curtis is present
Hidden Emotion Unlocked: "Mutual Pressure = Mutual Growth"
Back Home – That Night
Alex sat at his small desk. His body ached. His brain felt like scrambled eggs. But he clicked open the Tactical Replay Hub one more time.
He ran the Everton assist on loop — 12 different variations. One with a fake shot first. One with an outside-foot flick. One with a Scholes-style turn.
Each review added small gains.
+0.4 Vision+0.3 Tactical Awareness+0.1 Mentorship Affinity: Paul Scholes
Then he pulled up a Rooney header from 2012. He watched it 10 times. Absorbed the movement. The timing.
One day, that'll be me.
He opened the System's Bio tab.
Alexander Marshall (Age 16)
Club: Manchester United U21
Nationality: English
Hometown: Manchester
Height: 5'10"
Preferred Position: CAM / SS
Reputation: Local Talent
System Tag: Wonder kid (Emerging)
Current Stats:
Pace: 69
Dribbling: 74
Shooting: 70
Passing: 73
Stamina: 74
Strength: 64
Tactical Awareness: 69
Charisma: 63
Still far from perfect.
But getting closer.
And across the city, in a dim apartment, an unknown scout emailed a brief report to his contact at Manchester City Academy.
Subject: Keep tabs on Alexander Marshall