The next morning, Tyler shocked almost all the coaches in the warm up training sessions. The big boost to some of his stats made him a lot better on the ball than he thought.
Small changes, that he thought wouldn’t be easily noticed were quite glaring to the coaches, and to James. If they didn’t know any better, they would’ve said that he wasn’t the same player that they were watching.
James watched him warm up with the rest of the players with a smile on his face. When Tyler first signed to the academy, it was more of a charity move. They saw that he came from a couple of pro clubs academies so they decided to take him in temporarily, and see what he was capable of. And he never made them look back.
The rate at which he improved was nothing short of astonishing. James began to wonder what was going on in the heads of the clubs that let him go.
He couldn’t possibly know that Tyler had since unlocked a system that turned him into what he is now.
"Alright everyone, gather round". James called out to everyone once they had finished with their warmups.
"The next match that we’re playing, that is the banker. That is it. That could be it for most of you as far as your time here is concerned". James said. "This could be an unbelievable opportunity. I’m sure there are a few odd players here that feel ’oh I won’t be scouted’ or something like that, I need you to go out there and show them why they should look at you. Go and show them how good you are".
"Against Giannis Academy, show them how well you play!"
For the rest of the week, the training session had a very high intensity. James, who didn’t really get into tactics started drilling them with intense tactical sessions and getting them to be more positionally aware. They also watched clips of the opposition and made plans to counter their playing style.
The day before the match, Tyler felt that it was the most prepared they had been for a match since Tyler joined.
After the light training session, Tyler found himself in front of the door to his room quicker than he would’ve liked. He walked in and found Lenny packing his bags. A small sigh escaped his lips.
He walked over to his bed and sat down. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"I guess this is it".
Lenny looked up and smiled back. "Yeah, I guess is it. This could be the last night that we spend together".
"I guess things are changing". Tyler said. "In a matter of weeks, I could be at Arsenal and you could be at Manchester United. That’s crazy".
Lenny laughed. "I guess. Are you ready for tomorrow though? It’s not going to be like the other games. It’s a final".
Tyler nodded slightly. "Yeah, I guess. But the more I think about it the more scary it feels, so I won’t think about the match for now. Let’s talk about how you’re going to cope at Manchester".
"I’d also rather not talk about that". Lenny said. "Unless you want me to get nervous then bring a girl over to get my mind off it". Lenny smiled. "The ball is in your court".
"So nobody’s talking then". Tyler said, standing up from his bed and stripping out of his training outfit. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelFɪre.net
He wrapped a towel around his waist and went into the shower.
"Hiss..." A hiss escaped his lips as the water from the shower fell on his back. He’d set it to release cold water, and now he regretted his decision.
He didn’t change the setting though, he just allowed the water to flow on his back.
He thought about all the work he has put in during the last year. From getting released from Preston North End’s academy to getting the system, following the system’s rigid training routine and how many times he collapsed right after. Having to drag himself to school mere hours after it and still try to be focused. He thought about when he joined the Rising Stars Academy. How he had to work his way up to becoming an undisputed starter.
As he remembered all these events, his lips twitched and a smile formed on his lips. He had gone through a lot, more than he wished he had but it had all been worth it.
The scary thought was that all the work he put in over the last seven months, everything lead up to the match that would be played tomorrow.
Or maybe it didn’t. He already received offers from Monaco and Arsenal. He could just take it easy since he was already guaranteed a way out.
He shook the thought out of his head as quickly as it came in. Just as they had shortlisted him, they could just as easily change their minds. His performance tomorrow had to be something that would make sure that they wanted him.
Right as he was thinking, he heard a familiar notification
[Ding! Host has been given a mission]
[Mission: Get out of the hood. Drop a masterclass performance in the final to make the scouts sure about signing you]
[Reward: +30 stat points, <50% chance> potential upgrade]
Tyler read everything casually as he showered, but when he read the last line, he very nearly fell in the shower.