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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

Niels spent his last morning in Genoa packing his bags and getting ready to leave. He kept thinking about Boccadasse, the sea, and the sunset he had watched the night before. Before heading to the airport, he checked his phone and read the messages his players had sent him. Their words put him in a good mood for the journey.


His flight to Amsterdam gave him some time to rest. From there, he would travel to Utrecht before returning to Crawley. The new season was getting closer, and there was still plenty to do. Transfers, fixtures, and the challenges of League One were waiting for him. He also thought about the videos his players had shared. Thiago was at the beach, Max had sent a sunset from Spain, and Luka had shown him a field in Croatia. Matteo's warning was still on his mind.


Chapter 102 - Dutch Days