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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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.

Crawley Town were on fire. Their wild 4-3 win over champions Notts County sealed by Luka's last-minute rocket locked in 2nd place in League Two with 91 points. Promotion was theirs. Medals shone like a battle cry for the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 15, 2010. The noise at Meadow Lane faded, but Crawley's pride only grew louder. The town was buzzing, burning with joy and belief. The league table was settled but Crawley had set the script on fire. Titles and stats faded behind them as the town turned into a sea of celebration, where every step home felt like a parade and every red scarf a banner of belief.


Chapter 82 - Sparks of Glory