Chapter 8: Echoes of Progress
Chapter 8: Echoes of Progress
Tuesday. The day after recovery.
Rain covered the streets again, just like on Saturday. But this time, things felt different at the training ground. The players moved with more purpose—passes were cleaner, transitions quicker. There was excitement in the air.
Whispers spread, as they often did in lower-league football.
"Did you see that guy near the tunnel after the match?"
"He had to be a scout, right? Maybe for Luka or Dev?"
"Nah, mate. Simons is the one scoring goals. Could be him."
No one asked Niels directly. But he felt it—the way players looked at him a little longer when he spoke, the nervous energy during drills, the unspoken tension in the locker room.
Even Wallace, who usually hid his worries with jokes, finally spoke up.
"You should get used to this," he said quietly, handing Niels an updated training report. "People are starting to notice. And not just the young players."
Niels raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He already knew what Wallace meant.