The international break had ended, and only a handful of players had been called up to represent their national teams. These included notable nas such as Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon, Jackie McNamara, Henrik Larsson, and Steve Finnan.
With the schedule becoming increasingly packed—and with fierce competition from Derby County and Crystal Palace—the players were required to stay in the club dormitory.
The decision was made to improve training efficiency and ensure better team cohesion during this critical stretch of the season.
6:20 AM
Henrik Larsson felt a sharp stiffness in his back the mont he tried to sit up. Grimacing, he rose slowly from bed, his hand instinctively reaching for his lower back.
"I’m exhausted," he muttered.
A quiet groan escaped him as he stood, and his frown deepened when he turned toward the window.
Not even a hint of sunlight broke through. It was hard to rember the last ti he’d seen a truly bright morning. Everything lately felt muted.
Whether it was the gloomy sky or the fatigue from barely sleeping over the past few days, he wasn’t sure.
Maybe it was both.
People often criticize football players when they don’t perform, saying things like, "The club is paying you a high salary, so you should deliver." And when players fall short, they’re bombarded with criticism.
But what about the ntal side? What about the stress, the overwhelm, and the burnout?
6:50 AM
Larsson sighed quietly before pulling on his training kit and stepping out of his dorm room. It was early—but not unusually so for a match-week training day
He made his way down the hallway toward the dining area.
The sll of fresh coffee, oats, and eggs hit him as he pushed the door open.
Inside, a few of the lads were already seated around the long breakfast table—chatting in low voices, so half-awake, while others checked the day’s schedule on the notice board.
"Morning, mate," Materazzi greeted him.
"Morning," Larsson replied.
He gave a few brief nods to the others before grabbing a tray and going down the breakfast line.
Porridge oats with a drizzle of honey and berries
2 poached eggs
Whole grain toast with avocado
Fresh fruit smoothie
Two poached eggs, sausages, whole grain toast with avocado, and a fresh fruit smoothie were on offer. Larsson piled his plate with eggs, a couple of sausages, and so toast—standard fuel for a hard day’s training. He topped it off with a bowl of porridge and a spoonful of honey.
Larsson sat down at the end of the table with his plate, quietly tucking into his food.
As he looked around the room, sothing caught his eye.
Nearly everyone had a pen in hand and was focused on sothing in front of them.
Lennon was hunched over a sheet of paper, and just across from him, Shevchenko was also deep in thought before jotting sothing down. Even the captain, Cafu, had his eyes narrowed as he wrote.
Larsson leaned slightly toward Jens Lehmann, who was seated nearby, and asked quietly, "What’s going on?"
Lehmann didn’t look up. "Questionnaire," he mumbled, grabbing a forkful of sausage. "The club gave it to everyone this morning. I already did mine."
Larsson frowned. "Questionnaire?"
"Yeah—pick one up at the notice board," Lehmann said, nodding toward the far wall.
Larsson’s curiosity got the better of him. He set down his fork, stood up, and walked over to the notice board.
Sure enough, a stack of questionnaires had been pinned underneath a small sign: PLAYER WELLNESS – CONFIDENTIAL – TO BE RETURNED BY NOON
He pulled one from the stack and glanced at the front page. It was simple—just one sheet, front and back.
Returning to his seat, he sat down, porridge now forgotten. He skimd the questions.
1. How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
2. Did you wake up feeling rested?
3. On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate your current energy level?
4. How would you describe your mood this morning?
5. Are you currently feeling stressed or overwheld?
6. Do you feel ntally prepared for today’s training?
Larsson was taken aback by this. It was the first ti he had ever filled out sothing like this.
Nevertheless, seeing his teammates completing the questionnaire, he tapped the end of his pen against the table.
Then, slowly, he started to write.
8:00 am
With breakfast finished and the questionnaire completed, Larsson made his way down to the gym at Maine Road for his scheduled prehab session.
For most footballers, prehab had beco a patchwork of familiar routines—exercises picked up over the years from different physios at various clubs. Little rituals designed to ward off injury and prepare the body for the day ahead.
Larsson’s session today was under the supervision of Ron, the newest addition to Dave Fevre’s dical staff. But just as he reached the gym doors, he stopped.
He blinked.
The gym looked nothing like the one he rembered.
The usual worn-out mats and creaky benches had been replaced. Brand-new equipnt lined the walls—state-of-the-art treadmills, resistance machines, free weights, and balance boards. Even the flooring had been redone with fresh rubber tiles, and a full-length mirror now stretched across one side of the room.
Gallas and Ferdinand were already in the corner, experinting with a new cable system, while one of the physios stood nearby, explaining how to use the pneumatic leg press machine to Roberto Carlos.
"What’s wrong?" Ron’s voice ca from behind, noticing Larsson standing still.
Larsson turned, eyes still scanning the space. "Since when did we replace everything?"
Hearing the question, Ron finally understood Larsson’s confusion. "During the international break. The boss gave the order to revamp the whole setup."
"The boss? You an..." Larsson tilted his chin toward O’Neill, who was speaking to an Robertson across the room.
"No, not Martin," Ron said with a small smile. "I an direct instructions from the boss’s boss."
Oh, it ans the big boss, Richard Maddox.
Larsson nodded and began his prehab session, which took about 30 to 40 minutes.
Once he has finished his session, he goes straight into the physio room next door to get his ankle strapping applied by Ron. He wears the strapping because of a previous ankle injury, and it provides his ankle with added support during training.
8:55 am
Ankle strapping applied and feeling his body feeling as loose as is possible, it’s then back to the changing room to grab his boots and go out to training.
"Eh?"
While slowly walking across the training ground, Larsson suddenly stopped once again.
The scent of grass mixed with morning dew filled the air. It was mid-March—still chilly, with the damp morning air cold enough to make his shoulders shrink. The brisk wind swept away his drowsiness and fatigue.
His eyes took in the serene, empty training ground. He stepped forward, feeling the soft grass beneath his feet. The pitch was lush and well-maintained—smooth enough that even if a player fell or slid, it wouldn’t be a burden on their body.
But that wasn’t what surprised him.
"Seriously? They even redid the grass?"
Clubs typically waited until the off-season to tear up and re-lay the turf. Doing it mid-season was rare—risky, even. The timing just didn’t make sense. Still, just seeing it brought satisfaction to any footballer.
He looked up. The training equipnt was neatly arranged.
The old, worn-out gear had been completely replaced. Everything was new—not just the gym, but the facilities on the pitch and the pitch itself.
The rusted goalposts, the peeling paint, the wire fences full of holes, and the scratched-up clubhouse exterior—all had been transford as if brand new.
Training starts at 9 o’clock and usually begins with a warm-up, which may consist of a jog, stretching, and short, sharp sprints.
Warm-ups are often the bane of every footballer’s day. They aren’t ant to be enjoyed—they’re designed to get the body warm, ready to perform in training, and help prevent injuries.
Training usually revolves around a series of different football drills. Although these drills vary from day to day, they typically fall into one of three categories: tactical, technical, or fitness.
The main focus of today’s training session is fitness.
The session typically lasts between an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the day of the week or other factors such as recent or upcoming matches.
12 PM
By now, the football session has usually finished, and it’s ti to head back to the changing room. If there isn’t a scheduled gym session and no dical treatnt is required from the physio, it’s ti to have a shower before lunch.
The dirty kit is left in a wheelie bin in the changing room to be washed for the next day of training.
At a professional level, players are lucky enough to have a kitman who washes and prepares all their training kits for the following day.
Larsson rembered the first ti he started his career at Högaborgs BK—he was basically in charge of washing and looking after his own training kit.
12:15 -12.45 pm
After showering and changing into so casual clothes, it was ti to refuel.
Unlike his previous club, Feyenoord, where players paid a small fee for als that was deducted from their wages at the end of each month, at Manchester City everything was basically free. Whether you wanted breakfast or lunch, the club provided it all.
There was sothing interesting about the setup here at Manchester City, though.
Footballers could co in and eat whatever they wanted. That was sothing Henrik Larsson knew well—even during his ti at Feyenoord and basically at every club.
Here at City, this was usually not the case. als were more controlled, and players didn’t have the sa freedom to choose whatever they fancied.
Everything was changing here. He rembered the first ti he ca to City—back then, so players still ate carelessly. Gradually, the rules started to tighten, especially with the introduction of individual al boxes for each player.
Now...?
The nutritionists work with the dietitians, physios, and doctors to determine what each player should be eating. They double-check everything and provide the ingredients needed to create the recipes.
He had heard rumors that the club spent nearly £15,000 on the new kitchen and dining room, and another £5,000 per month on all these people.
"Every player has their own nu, as each has specific needs," they said.
"Sarah, bring Henrik nu number 17!" the chef called out.
"Got it," ca the reply, as the other party quickly moved to fetch the nu.
"Henrik, thanks for waiting. Here’s yours."
Just like the nu. When he first arrived here, players used to be served steak and chips. But now? Grilled chicken breast, brown rice, and a generous portion of stead broccoli, spinach, and sweet potato.
"Lean protein, complex carbs, and antioxidants to aid recovery. Here you go," the chef briefed with a smile as he served the plate to the player in front of him.
"Thanks, mate," Larsson said as he grabbed his plate.
1:00 PM
After lunch, players have limited spare ti outside of their routine. Whether it’s arranging additional drills, attending consultations, or taking a mont to sit down, read the newspaper, or chat, they use this ti to catch up on anything they may have missed that morning or the previous day.
2:00 PM
If there is no other session, then today’s work at the club is finished.
After chatting with his teammates, Larsson imdiately collected his fresh training kit for the next day and then went to his dormitory.
The day follows the sa routine, repeating over and over until match ti arrives.
"Ah, shit," Larsson muttered under his breath as soon as he heard who their next opponents were. Just the na alone sent a shiver down his spine.
Millwall. An away match. The Den.
Even when playing at Maine Road, they had the nerve to attack the team bus (Chapter 106). Now, he could only imagine how savage the welco would be when they arrived at Millwall’s ho ground.
A sinking feeling settled in his gut.
He already had a bad feeling about it.
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