The Blackpool goalkeeper got his fingertip to it, the touch took it into the top corner. The ball struck the inside of the post and dipped in at last, nestling into the back of the net.
Harry pulled one back for Salford U18.
The score: 3-1.
For a second, the roar from the small Salford crowd blurred. The Blackpool keeper slammed his fist against the turf, his teammates looked shocked at the unexpected goal as they scrambled to reset.
It'd come from nowhere, and now the momentum had shifted. But for Harry..., everything suddenly seemed to slow.
A sharp chime rang inside his head.
[DING!]
[Football Evolution System Activated.]
[Welcome, Host: Harry Whittaker. Congratulations on scoring your first competitive tournament goal.]
[Objective: Become the Greatest of All Time.]
Harry froze on the spot. He blinked, as if trying to clear his head of this hallucination, chest rising and falling as the cold November air filled his lungs.
'A system?! Inside my head?!'
He'd read about things like this dozens of times online—heroes in fantasy worlds getting cheat systems, gamers becoming legends after transmigrating—but this wasn't fiction anymore.
It was happening to him.
His boots dug into the perfect turf, body trembling not from fatigue but from pure shock. Yet the surprise only lasted a breath. His eyes sharpened. His lips curled into something between a grin and a snarl.
If there was one thing Harry Whittaker had always believed, it was that fate never gave second chances. His dad's death had taught him how cruel life could be. So if destiny handed him something this mad... he'd grab it with both hands.
The robotic voice continued in crisp lines inside his mind.
[The Football Evolution System transforms raw talent into footballing genius through experience points gained from match performance and training dedication.]
[Current Level: 1
EXP: 115/200
Club: Salford City U18]
A translucent panel unfolded like a hologram only he could see:
---
[HARRY WHITTAKER - LEVEL 1]
[Overall Rating: 47/100]
[TECHNICAL ATTRIBUTES: 8/20]
Dribbling – 47/100
First Touch – 48/100
Passing – 45/100
Crossing – 45/100
Finishing – 50/100
Long Shots – 40/100
Marking – 37/100
Technique – 45/100
Free Kicks – 47/100
Penalties – 44/100
[PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES: 10/20]
Pace – 55/100
Acceleration – 50/100
Agility – 52/100
Balance – 47/100
Strength – 45/100
Stamina – 47/100
Aerial – 40/100
Natural Fitness – 55/100
[MENTAL ATTRIBUTES: 10/20]
Composure – 45/100.
Decision-Making – 50/100
Positioning – 54/100
Off the Ball – 54/100
Vision – 48/100
Work Rate – 55/100
Teamwork – 51/100
Leadership – 45/100
Flair – 50/100
Aggression – 40/100
---
[15 EXP earned: First Tournament Goal]
[100 EXP earned: Starter Pack]
---
Harry's jaw nearly dropped. 'Numbers. Attributes. Skills.' It was like a proper FIFA Football 2004 player profile... but inside his head.
"Oi! Harry!"
Jamie Walsh jogged past, clapping him on the shoulder. "Brilliant finish, mate! Keep going!"
Harry snapped back to reality. The game was still on. Blackpool were already placing the ball at the center circle, faces grim.
His heartbeat steadied. He exhaled through his nose.
Later, he could study every number, every stat. Right now, there were thirty-five minutes left, and Salford still trailed 3-1.
Fweeee!
The referee's whistle blew, and football resumed.
---
Blackpool tried to slow things down. Their defenders passed it sideways, eating up seconds. But Harry felt different now. Every movement, every pass, every shift in positioning seemed clearer.
Like the system had wiped fog from his vision.
His stats, while not impressive when compared to top Premier League academy players, were nonetheless enough to give his team a significant advantage in making a comeback in this game.
Their right-back received the ball near the touchline, same lad Harry had beaten for his goal. This time, the defender looked visibly nervous.
Harry pressed hard.
His boots splashed through a wet spot on the grass, lungs burning, but his timing felt perfect. The right-back panicked under pressure and played a loose pass back to his center-half.
Harry was already on the move.
His boot stretched out, intercepting the ball cleanly. The defender stumbled, expecting Harry to be further away.
"Move it, Harry!" Their defensive midfielder, Jayden Rowe, shouted from the center of the pitch.
Harry knocked the ball inside to Noah Perring, an attacking midfielder alongside Jamie Walsh, and immediately sprinted into space.
There were no fancy tricks involved. His dribbling stat told him enough—47 rating wasn't enough to try such.
But something felt different this time around. The air felt fresh and his thoughts sharper. Like his brain was processing the game faster.
Noah Perring laid it back to him first time. Harry was already scanning before the ball arrived. The center-half was drifting wide to cover. Their left-back had pushed up too high.
A crack had appeared in their defense, and he wasn't one to miss out on such a great opportunity.
Harry drove into it, ball at his feet. He took two touches, then a sharp cut inside as the center-half slid in late.
[DING!]
[+1 XP - 1 Successful Dribble]
The crowd noise grew louder. Even the Salford fans who'd stayed were on their feet now.
"Go on, son!" someone shouted.
Harry looked up. The keeper was off his line slightly, but rushing out confidently. The angle wasn't great, but...
He struck it with his left foot this time. Low and hard toward the near post.
The keeper dived, getting a strong hand to it. The ball deflected wide for a corner.
"Unlucky!" Frank yelled from the touchline. "Keep doing that!"
Harry let loose a smile. That shot was an intentional attempt to squeeze the ball past the near post and catch the keeper off guard. That was something he couldn't have tried before now. His shot was more controlled, more precise.
The corner kick came to nothing, but Harry noticed something else. His teammates were looking at him differently now. Less like the sub who'd come on when they were already dead and buried. More like someone who might actually change things.
"Keep running at them," Danny, the captain, said as they jogged back. "They're feeling the pressure now."
In the sixty-second minute, it happened again.
A ball spilled loose in midfield. Harry got there first, ahead of their defensive midfielder. But instead of just winning it, he felt the next move before it happened.
The midfielder's slide was coming. Harry dragged the ball back with his right foot, letting the tackle slide past, then accelerated into the space behind.
[DING!]
[+1 XP - 1 Successful Dribble]
Suddenly he was running at their back line. Three defenders, two center-halfs and the panicked right-back who'd been struggling this second half since he came on.
Harry cut right, then left. The right-back went the wrong way completely.
One center-half committed to the tackle. Harry dinked the ball over his sliding legs and collected it on the other side.
[DING!]
[+1 XP - 1 Successful Dribble]
It was just him and the keeper now. The crowd was roaring. Even some Blackpool fans were watching in silence.
Harry's finishing stat flashed in his mind: 50/100. Not amazing, but good enough for his age group.
He didn't think twice. Just side-footed it into the bottom corner.
The net bulged.
3-2.
This time, Harry didn't freeze. He sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide. His teammates mobbed him, Danny grabbing his head and shaking it.
"You beautiful bastard!" Noah Perring screamed in his ear.
[DING!]
[+2 XP - Goal Scored]
[Current Experience: 119/200]
Frank was going mental on the touchline, jacket off and swinging it around his head. The small group of Salford fans were singing something Harry couldn't make out over the blood rushing in his ears.
But he could hear the system clearly.
[Achievement Unlocked: First Brace]
[+5 XP Bonus]
[Current Experience: 124/200]
After the celebrations, Harry felt his legs were getting heavy. With his stamina at 47, his lungs burned with each breath having just come on in the second half. But there were still twenty-five minutes left.
And Salford were just one goal away from a comeback, pushing the game into extra time or penalties.
The Blackpool players looked rattled for the first time all game. Their coach was shouting instructions from the sideline, making urgent hand gestures.
"One more!" Danny upped their morale, yelling as they reset for kickoff. "We can get one more! Come on!"
Harry nodded, hands on his knees, trying to get his breath back.