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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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's flame flickered but kept burning after a 2-2 draw with Northampton Town. Max Simons scored twice, but a gutting 92nd-minute equalizer left them with 88 points still in 2nd place in League Two. Notts County, already crowned champions with 93 points, awaited them in the final match at Meadow Lane on May 6. Bournemouth, sitting 3rd with 87 points, were still close behind. Crawley's promotion was already sealed. Now it was about finishing strong, holding onto 2nd, and building momentum for the Chelsea FA Cup final. Could Max's fire and Thiago's flair rise again or would the league champions remind Crawley who ruled the league?


Chapter 79 - Second or Nothing