I walked over to pitch three, where the U16s were running a small-sided game. It didn't take long to spot Antoine Semenyo. He was about 5'8", with long limbs and a rangy build that suggested he might still be growing.

He moved with a kind of raw athleticism that was immediately noticeable, but his decision-making was poor. He'd get the ball, try to dribble past three players, lose it, and then jog back without tracking his runner. His positioning was all wrong; he kept drifting inside when he should have stayed wide, and he didn't make runs in behind when the space was there.

But.

When he did get it right, when he made the right decision, he was electric. There was one moment where he received the ball on the wing, took one touch to set himself, and then just exploded past his marker with pure pace.

He got to the byline and whipped in a cross that was inch-perfect. His teammate should have scored but headed it over. Semenyo threw his hands up in frustration, and I saw the fire in him. The desire. The hunger.

I checked the system.

[SYSTEM] Player Analysis: Antoine Semenyo

Current Ability: 85/200

Potential Ability: 165/200

Key Attributes:

• Pace: 15/20

• Dribbling: 12/20

• Finishing: 11/20

• Positioning: 6/20

• Decision-Making: 5/20

• Work Rate: 7/20

Status: On trial (5 weeks completed, 3 weeks remaining). High risk of release.

I stared at the numbers. Current ability of 85 was low really low for a U16 player at a Premier League academy. But the potential ability of 165? That was significant. Not Eze-level, but still very good.

The raw attributes were there: pace, dribbling, finishing. The tactical understanding was missing. Positioning, decision-making, and work rate. Those were things that could be coached. Those were things I could develop.

But he'd been here for five weeks and hadn't improved. Why?

I watched him for another twenty minutes, and the answer became clear. The U16 coaches were running a rigid, structured system that didn't suit his style. They wanted him to stay wide, to make disciplined runs, to track back religiously. But Semenyo was a chaos player. He thrived on freedom, on instinct, on moments of individual brilliance. The structure was suffocating him, and he wasn't developed enough tactically to adapt.

He needed a different environment. He needed someone to work with him one-on-one, to teach him positioning and decision-making without killing his natural instincts. He needed time and patience and belief.

He needed me.

I walked back to the U16 office, where Mark and Steve were reviewing footage.

"I want him," I said without preamble.

They both looked up, startled.

"Semenyo?" Mark asked. "Danny, he's been here five weeks and shown nothing. Gary's going to release him."

"I can see the raw talent," I said. "Pace, dribbling, finishing. He's got the tools. He just doesn't have the tactical understanding yet. His potential is massive. Give him to me. Let me work with him in the U18s."

Steve frowned. "He's not ready for U18s. His current ability is too low for that environment."

"Then I'll train him personally. I'll work with him one-on-one. I'll develop his positioning, his decision-making, and his work rate. But I need him in my environment, with my tactical system. The U16 setup isn't working for him."

Mark leaned back in his chair, studying me. "You're serious about this."

"Dead serious. You said that Bristol City are monitoring him, right? If we release him, they'll snap him up. And in two years, we'll be kicking ourselves when he's tearing up the Championship."

That got their attention. Mark and Steve exchanged a long look, then Mark sighed.

"You'll need to convince Gary. He's the one who makes the final call on trials."

"I will. Just... don't release him yet. Give me a chance to make my case."

I left the U16 office and headed straight for Gary's office. He was at his desk, reviewing paperwork, and looked up when I knocked.

"Danny. What can I do for you?"

"I want to bring Antoine Semenyo up to the U18s," I said, getting straight to the point.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "The U16 trialist? The one who's been here five weeks and shown nothing?"

"He's shown nothing because the U16 system doesn't suit him. He's a chaos player he thrives on freedom and instinct. The rigid structure down there is suffocating him. But his potential is massive. Pace, dribbling, finishing. He's got the raw tools. He just needs tactical coaching. Positioning, decision-making, and work rate. I can develop that."

"Danny, his current ability is too low for U18s. He's not ready."

"Then I'll train him personally. I'll work with him one-on-one, outside of regular sessions, if I have to. But I'm not letting a player with that much potential slip through our fingers just because he needs more time to develop. Bristol City are monitoring him. If we release him, they'll take him, and we'll regret it."

Gary leaned back in his chair, studying me. "You're that confident?"

"Yes."

He was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. You can have him. But he stays on his eight-week trial. If he doesn't show improvement in the next three weeks, he's gone. And you're personally responsible for his development. If this doesn't work out, it's on you."

"Understood."

"And Danny?" Gary's expression was serious. "You're taking on a lot. Eze's trial, Semenyo's development, three preseason matches, and the competitive season starting in a few weeks. Don't spread yourself too thin."

"I won't," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure I believed it.

I left Gary's office and walked back out to the training pitch, where the U18s were finishing up their session. Eze was sitting on the grass, breathing hard, talking to Nya about something. Connor was working with Rebecca on his positioning. Ryan was with Michael, practicing distribution. The staff was functioning. The players were improving. The system was working.

And now I had two players with massive potential, Eze at 175 and Semenyo at 165, who needed development, coaching, and belief.

Three preseason matches. Three weeks until the competitive season. Two trialists to integrate. A squad to refine. A system to perfect.

I should have felt overwhelmed. But instead, I felt alive.

This was what I'd signed up for. This was what I loved.

The work was just beginning.

END OF ACT 1 OF VOLUME 2

***

Thank you to nameyelus for the massage chair.

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