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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.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 roared unyielding, their 4-3 victory over Notts County, Luka Radev's stoppage-time screamer sealing a heart-stopping triumph securing 2nd place in League Two with 91 points, promotion secured, and a defiant statement sent to the Chelsea FA Cup final on the horizon. Meadow Lane's floodlights still burned, 8,000 fans a churning sea of black-and-white and red, the air electric with triumph and heartbreak.


Notts County, league champions with 93 points, stood ready to lift the League Two trophy, while Crawley's squad, sweat-soaked and defiant, prepared to receive their promotion medals. Bournemouth's 87 points secured their rise as well, but for Crawley's 1,500 fans, this moment meant everything pride, glory, and a dream beating loud for Wembley. Could Niels' squad carry this fire to face Chelsea, or would the weight of this night define their season's end?


Chapter 81 - Kings Without a Crown