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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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

Chapter 75: The High Press at Underhill


Matchday 42: Barnet FC vs. Crawley Town


Niels stood in the Broadfield Stadium carpark at dawn, the air sharp with April chill, Crawley Town's red crest glowing on his jacket. The town was a furnace of hope, fueled by their 1-0 win over Shrewsbury, Max Simons' venomous strike pushing them to 82 points, third in League Two, level with Bournemouth but trailing on goal difference. The Chelsea final was coming, but first Crawley had to survive Underhill, a tight, hostile ground where a physical, compact side was set to disrupt their promotion game. News of Bournemouth's 1-0 loss to Rochdale crackled through the town like wildfire, opening the door to 2nd place. A win tonight would lift Crawley to 85 points, overtaking Bournemouth. Niels felt the weight of it, his pulse quickening.


Chapter 75 - The High Press at Underhill