The roar of San Siro still rang in my ears.My legs were shaking—not from exhaustion, but disbelief.
"Red card... in ten fucking minutes"
That was my Serie A debut. My grand 'comeback'. A challenge too late, a referee too eager. The headlines would write themselves.
DELE DISGRACE ON ITALIAN DEBUT"Washed English star shows he still hasn't changed."
I didn't even shower after the match. I walked out of the stadium, hoodie up, earbuds in, head down. Como's kit man called after me—I didn't turn. What was I gonna say? "Sorry I failed again"?
The apartment was too quiet.Luxury furniture, fancy marble table, a view of the lake... and yet, everything felt hollow.
I sat in the kitchen, staring at the open bottle of wine I hadn't touched. No music. No TV. Just... me.
And the pills.
I didn't take them to get high. I just didn't want to feel. I didn't want to remember.
I didn't want to wake up.
One pill. Then another. Then four more.I wasn't crying. I wasn't screaming. Just silence.
I lay back on the couch and closed my eyes.
"If this is it... then at least I tried."
[SYSTEM BOOTING...]
My eyes snapped open.
But it wasn't my ceiling.
It wasn't my apartment.
The air smelled... different. Clean. Cold. Grass?
I sat up in confusion.
Around me, training cones, Tottenham tracksuits, and a young Harry Kane jogging past.
I nearly fell backward.
No... no way. No f**king way.
I looked down at my hands. No tattoos. No scars.
I reached into my jacket — my old academy badge from MK Dons was inside.
I scrambled for my phone.
The date is:
February 3, 2015.
Before I could react, a bright blue panel flashed before my eyes:
[SYSTEM INSTALLED]Welcome, Dele.Talent Sync System Activated.
🧠 Passive Skill Unlocked: Retain Past Life Memory🎯 Talent Extraction: You can absorb 1 skill per week from any player you've seen in real-time.⚽ Current Sync: None
⚠️ Warning: Your downfall is not erased. Only delayed... unless you change.
I staggered backward. My heart pounded in my ears.
This... is a joke. A dream. I'm hallucinating. Maybe I'm dead.
But the cold breeze. The burning in my thighs. The shouts from the coaches across the pitch...
No. This wasn't death. This was a second chance.
I stood at the edge of the training pitch, watching 19-year-old me walk out of the dressing room.No swagger yet. No tattoos. Just hunger and naivety.
And suddenly... I felt tears.
Not sadness. Not regret.
Rage.
At myself. At what I let happen. At all the nights I wasted, the promises I broke, the talent I pissed away like it was nothing.
But now... I had knowledge. I knew how the next five years would unfold.
And I had a System.
If I could learn from the best... I'd become better than I ever was.
No more flashy tricks. No more ego.
This time, I would become undeniable.
I clenched my fists as a familiar voice shouted:
Alright lads! Five-a-side. Alli, you're on Team C!
Coach's voice. Still young. Still full of belief in me.
I jogged forward. I wasn't sure what would happen next. Would they believe me if I told them the truth? Probably not.
But I didn't need them to believe.
I just needed them to see.
[SYSTEM PROMPT – First Sync Available]
Select one player you've seen in action.Extract one skill or trait.
🧠 Memory Search Activated…
Names flashed before my eyes.Kane. Modrić. Eriksen. Hazard. Pirlo. Messi.All those games. All those moments.
But one image stopped me: a late-night Champions League match.A sprint, a pass, a goal.
Son Heung-Min – Acceleration & Positioning.
Confirm Sync?
I grinned.
Yes.
A jolt of electricity shot through my body. My legs felt lighter. My feet felt... faster.
Coach blew the whistle.
I darted forward.
Time to show them what rebirth looks like.