The Man He Became

chicken,beer and sweat.The champions league anthem hummed through the air, silencing even the rowdiest in the room.Ethan sat at the front,his fellow Glenmere estate lads all tryi

ctions.The way lads tensed when a winger sprinted and made cuts

bi's voice cut through the noise in-between

his time his eye's fixed on the

s".Kobi scoffed."Not like us stru

small grin."Not

home.The viewing center erupted.Boys jumped to their feet

ent,knocking over an empt

een.Mbappe body movement before his pass,his acceleration,the angle i

had to be in hi

d back to the message Coach Pedro passed on to him."Carter".he'd said,"I see you lad,you've got the

ords still stuck in E

ches of mud,goalposts a bit lopsided,but to Ethan,it might as well been Wembley.It was

itch.Other boys doing stretches,breath cloudin

tching near the posts,

ed,pulling the headpho

be".Etha

The other boys were assemblin

ger lads eager for t

I want decision making,I want proper control of your wing and I want to see who can handle intense pressure.There'

vers through the players.E

s.Treat it like your life depends

lew signalling the be

ed on the left wing.Kobi placed

centre

d for a moment,Etha

ugh pass to fellow teammate,second pass mistook for fellow teammate.Every movement onward

field."Oi,Carter!."Wa

hard.He knew

n't hi

d around and noticed that the scout,a lean man in a grey overcoat,stood seated from the far si

fti

ch at break,just a little

ther's old boots out th

eartbeats hitting so fast.He fe

s".he muttere

He not only watching your feet.He's watching your every mo

shifted inside him,Not his pace nor his technique.His style shifted from trying

.slid a sharp diagonal to Kobi,who whipped in a low cross. Wayne curled it i

k,eyes still obs

watching,writing o

e coach Pedro office,legs twitch

e door

me

ffee and leather.Ethan sat nervously across

cout".Works with a development program attach

hroat t

ol,Said you were raw

ted his se

me,said you looked lost.Bu

looking mor

tell your head was still in the game.said

est lifted

yle of play?"Et

month.Better field,Better players.You be on your

rt thuddi

e re

earing boots too big for you,Ethan.T

beside Ethan,music buzzing out from the ra

icked". Dariu

Ethan

between both of

haled."Th

eem like he was happy.

ups

."You always had the grit and focus in you,b

ned back.

ou're gonna need more than just

said,"but thi

ide.The bus rattled past fami

better than me now ?"

in disappointment,wondering whethe

rd me sound

ut I've got a chance now a

ght."You just not better for

h determination."But am

in sile

ir destination still