After touring the gym, we made our way to the club's locker room. After the assistant coach introduced the place to us, a staff member came in and handed us some bags. The assistant coach said, "These are the kits you'll be wearing from now on, and they have the numbers assigned to you." We all immediately took out the jerseys and started looking at them.
I picked mine up. Holding the jersey in my hands, I couldn't calm the excitement building inside me. I looked down and saw the number 33 printed on it. In my previous life, many footballers had chosen this number during their youth, and now I would be wearing it too. I glanced at the others' numbers as well. Alex would wear number 24, Ben number 29, and Mark number 30. After checking theirs, I noticed George's number was 14 and Liam's was 11, and that's when I understood the difference.
Jersey numbers usually ranged between 1 and 20 unless there was a special reason otherwise. Having a number closer to that range often meant your role in the team was more clearly defined. The number 11, especially, was commonly worn by star players. In my previous life, legends like Johan Cruyff, Romário, George Best, Van Basten, and Didier Drogba had all worn that number and achieved great success with it. Seeing Liam with number 11 made it clear just how highly Coach Connor valued him. When I looked at George's and Liam's numbers, a wave of ambition surged inside me. With the help of my system, I planned to become an important player for the team soon. Maybe then, I'd be able to freely choose the jersey number I wanted. Some players, especially those closely associated with a specific number, even included jersey number clauses in their contracts when staying at or transferring between clubs.
After we finished looking at the jerseys, the assistant coach spoke again. "These numbers were decided by Coach Connor and the technical staff. We assigned what we believe are the most suitable numbers for each of you. Do you have any questions about this?" Alex raised his hand and asked with curiosity, "Will we have a chance to change our jersey numbers in the future?" The assistant coach smiled and replied, "Of course. As you achieve success at the club and prove your place, if the number you want isn't already in use, you can request it from the technical staff." Alex clearly looked pleased with the answer. Ben and Mark, who also didn't seem fully satisfied with their numbers, showed signs of relief as well. While jersey numbers might not be that important overall, for teenagers with football idols, they were a strong source of motivation.
After finishing the rest of the club tour, the assistant coach said, "That's all for today. Tomorrow, you should arrive at the club before 12:00. Once you're here, you'll meet your teammates and the technical staff and watch their match." After acknowledging his words, we went back to gather our belongings.
Once we were done, the six of us headed out of the club together. To stay in touch, we all exchanged contact details. Then George, who usually didn't talk much, looked at all of us and said, "Actually, since we're getting ready for new things at the club, we could create a group chat to help each other out." Mark and Ben immediately agreed with their energetic personalities. Alex and I nodded in agreement as well. I looked at Liam, who hadn't said anything, and asked, "What do you think? Would you like to join?" Without changing his expression, he replied, "It's a reasonable idea. Why not?" The response was as cold as his expression, but he had agreed nonetheless. After creating the group, we each headed home.