Friday’s training session was noticeably lighter than the previous days, focusing mostly on tactical work and set piece routines. David went over Derby’s strengths in careful detail, explaining how they liked to press high up the pitch and play direct balls forward to their tall strikers.
The session took place under a grey Middlesbrough sky, the kind that threatened rain but never quite delivered. Will listened closely to every word, asking a couple of thoughtful questions about dropping deeper to help build play from the back when the press ca on strong. The coaches appreciated the engagent and David nodded approvingly at his input, making a small note on his clipboard.
After the main session ended Will kept his extra individual work short and smart. He did so rebounder wall reps to sharpen his first touch and a few dribbling drills through cones in the backyard at ho. He made sure not to push too hard. There was no point carrying any unnecessary tiredness into match day. When he finished he drank a recovery potion right there in the backyard, feeling the familiar cool relief wash through his body almost instantly. His muscles relaxed and the slight stiffness from the morning work disappeared completely.
The evening at ho felt quiet in a good way. He ate dinner with the full family around the table and they kept the conversation easy and light hearted. His dad talked about so of the old gas he used to watch when he was younger, sharing stories about players who ca through tough situations and eventually made it. Gary’s voice carried that quiet pride as he looked at Will across the table.
His mum reminded him gently to stay focused and enjoy the mont, making sure his plate was full with extra portions. Janet made a few jokes about him finally being useful to the team but she stayed around the table longer than she usually did, asking actual questions about the lineup and what he expected from Derby. It felt nice, like the family was properly behind him now.
After dinner Will went up to his room fairly early. He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling for a long ti, replaying the voicemail from David in his head from all those weeks ago. The cold words that had crushed him that night on the second pitch now felt like a distant mory, sothing from another life.
The system had given him tools but he knew he had done the hard work himself, pushing through doubt and cold mornings on the training pitches. He checked his stats through the system one last ti before deciding on a capsule session. His overall rating sat at 62 now. The credits were building steadily toward that important first potential cap expansion. He set his alarm for an early wake up and closed his eyes for a mont.
"System, ti capsule session. Focus on ga managent and tempo control," he said quietly.
The ding sounded and the white space enveloped him as he lay still on his bed. In the simulated environnt he spent ten full hours working on slowing the ga down deliberately with sideways passes and short holds, and accelerating it suddenly to catch defenses off guard. The shadow players moved realistically, pressing hard and forcing him to adapt constantly in different match scenarios.
When the session finally ended and he opened his eyes again in his actual bed, only about ten minutes had passed in the real world. He felt the benefits imdiately. His mind was sharper from all the deliberate practice, yet his body was rested as if he had simply taken a short nap. He drank a recovery potion right away to lock in the gains and felt completely fresh.
He stayed in bed for a few more minutes, letting the potion do its work, then went downstairs to join the family for a bit. Janet teased him about spending too much ti "talking to his imaginary coach" as soon as he sat down on the couch. "You disappear for hours and co back looking like you just woke up from a nap. What kind of training are you really doing out there?"
Will just smiled and shook his head. "The kind that wins gas, Janet."
Both his mum and dad could tell sothing positive was shifting in him. His dad gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder before heading to bed, muttering sothing about being proud of the fight he was putting in. Will stayed downstairs a little longer, talking with his mum about small things before finally going back up to his room. He lay there thinking about the match, visualizing different scenarios, until sleep took him properly.
The morning of the match arrived clear and bright. Will got up early as always, did so very light technical work at Rockliffe Park just to get the blood flowing and his touch feeling sharp, then returned ho for a proper breakfast with the family. They all wished him luck with genuine warmth. His dad gave him a long look full of pride before he left for work. "Go show them what you’ve been working on, son."
Will headed to the ground with the rest of the squad, the bus ride filled with the usual mix of focused quiet and light banter. In the changing room the atmosphere was serious and concentrated. He pulled on his match kit carefully, laced his boots with extra attention, and sat for a mont on the bench letting everything settle in his mind.
David delivered the final team talk with a steady, clear voice that cut through any remaining nerves. "Play your ga, trust each other, and take the chances when they co." The players filed out together for the warm-up.
When the warmup was done, the two sets of teams walked out together. Will jogged onto the pitch with the starting eleven, noticing the crowd already filling up the stands around Rockliffe. He took his position as the number ten and stood there, heart steady, waiting for the referee’s whistle. This was the mont he had fought for. This was it.
A/N:
This is probably going to be the last free Chapter, and I once again wanted to say thank you to everyone that’s read so far, and to everyone that’s left a comnt or voted. It really ans a lot and it encourages to write more when I see that type of support.
Rember guys:
Every 50 Power Stones = 1 extra Chapter
Every 5 Golden Tickets = 1 extra Chapter
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra Chapter
Every 5 gifts = 1 extra Chapter
Any super gift = 5 extra Chapters and a shootout
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