Chapter 42 - MAN UNITED VS CHELSEA
—
The training pitch shimmered under the Manchester sun—a rare gift.
Sweat dripped down Nathan's neck as he finished his last set of passing drills. The air was sharp with the scent of fresh grass, cleats scraping turf, the pop of boots meeting the ball. The rhythm of it all felt like music.
But today, Nathan's mind wasn't on drills or conditioning.
His thoughts were in Europe.
"Group F," Amorim had said, holding up the slip of paper earlier that morning.
AC Milan.
PSV.
Red Star Belgrade.
Champions League.
Nathan had swallowed hard when the names flashed across the screen. San Siro. Philips Stadion. Rajko Mitić Stadium.
He'd watched those places on TV as a kid, knees hugged to his chest, wide-eyed as legends played under the lights.
Now, he would walk into them.
He turned toward Bruno, who was tugging off his bib after the session.
"I've always dreamed of the Champions League," Nathan said quietly.
