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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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 sting of Crawley Town's 2-1 defeat to Notts County clung to the air like frost, Niels' first loss as manager a bruise on the squad's heart. Thiago's lone goal, a fleeting spark in the 60th minute, had been smothered by Notts County's iron defense and their keeper's flawless hands, leaving Crawley at sixth place again in the league table. With the FA Cup Fifth Round against Premier League Burnley looming on February 20, the squad's frustration seeped into every step, their fire dimmed but not dead. At Broadfield's training ground, under a gray February sky, the team gathered, Nate Sutton's absence a quiet ache, his knee injury ticking toward February 21. Niels stood pitchside, a fan's letter crumpled in his pocket, "You're our soul, guys," its words a faint pulse against the gloom. Could he rekindle their spark before Burnley's giants roared, or would the Notts County wound fester?


Chapter 53 - Resolve against the Giants