Chapter 89: Millwall’s Destruction
David Jones stood on the right side of the pitch, ready as the referee blew the whistle. His body shifted slightly, his eyes locked on the ball as the Millwall players passed it around. He tracked every movement, watching closely as the ball was passed backward.
Jogging forward a little, David noticed something—the defender with the ball seemed unsure, looking around as if he didn’t know who to pass to. It was a mistake he had seen players make during training. David’s eyes stayed on him, and then he made his move, bursting forward with his speed.
Jake Cooper, Millwall’s center-back, had just received the ball. Whether it was because he hadn’t played in months or because the quietness of the stadium felt strange, something was off. Normally, the crowd’s noise would drown out everything, but now he could clearly hear Shaun Hutchinson, his captain, shouting.
"Pass! Pass! Pass fast!" Shaun screamed, frantically waving his hands. Jake, confused, turned to look behind him as Shaun gestured. He didn’t see anything at first. Then it hit him—literally. Jake lost his balance and fell to the ground. As he turned his head, all he saw was the bold golden number 30 with the name Jones above it.
David, who had slid in to take advantage of Jake’s hesitation, didn’t slow down. The ball was now at his feet, and he kept running forward. He glanced to his left and saw a defender charging toward him. Ahead, the goalkeeper was rushing out to close the gap. Both were coming at him fast.
David grinned. With the ball on his right foot, he rolled it forward slowly, drawing them in. At the last moment, he pushed the ball backward between the defender’s legs and spun around with a sharp 360-degree turn, leaving them colliding into each other.
The thud was loud as the two players crashed together, falling to the ground in a heap. The defender groaned in frustration, slapping the grass as he scrambled to get up, while the goalkeeper angrily shouted, "What the hell are you doing?!" But it was too late.
Now free, David sprinted toward the open goal. As he approached the front of the post, he slowed, extending his leg with precise determination. All the frustration of the past few months surged within him—the fight with his dad, the breaking of his friendship with Jason, and the alienation from his teammates.
With all that emotion bubbling up, he stretched his leg further and unleashed a powerful strike. The ball soared into the net, spinning wildly before finally settling into the back of the goal.
Derby leads 0-1 (David jones scores)
"Goal! Goal! Goal! The Manchester-bound 16-year-old has just scored 80 seconds into the game, and what skill that was!" shouted Baron from the commentator’s box. "He pushed the ball between Shaun’s legs, turned sharply, and let him collide with Bartosz. What was that? What can we even call that move?"