Chapter 14: Matchday
Chapter 14: Matchday
27 November, 2009
The phone call came before the sun had fully risen, just as a thin silver light crept through the blinds of Niels's flat. The shrill ring sliced through the morning stillness. He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and answered without checking the screen.
"Niels," came the voice on the other end calm, collected, but with a certain weight behind it. It was one of the board members.
"We know it's a big day. We won't pretend this situation is normal or easy. But we've been watching you."
Niels didn't know what to say. He stayed quiet, fingers curling tightly around the phone.
"You've handled a lot in a short span of time. More than most would. And the truth is... you've done better than we expected."
The words landed somewhere deep in his chest. Validation, Pressure. Maybe both.
"You're young, yes. But you've always had a head for the game. And if it hadn't been for that injury, maybe you'd still be playing. But that's not where your future is anymore. We see it now. We think maybe you're seeing it too."
There was a pause, long enough for Niels to catch the sound of birds outside, waking up with the day.
"You've got something, Niels. Something real. Tonight, we want you to show it. We want to win. But more than that, we want to see what you can be. After we get through this match, we'll sit down. Talk about contracts and talk about the future."