As the fourth official held up the board for three minutes of stoppage time, I thought that was it. Our last chance gone. A 2-2 draw.

A decent result against a team like Inter, but not the win we deserved, not the win that Eze and Semenyo deserved after everything they'd put in. I could see the disappointment on the players' faces, the realization that we'd let it slip away.

But then, one last attack. One last roll of the dice. One last chance to snatch victory from the jaws of a draw. The ball was cleared from an Inter corner, a long, looping clearance that fell to Eze, just inside our own half.

He had two players on him, their defenders closing him down, trying to snuff out the danger, but with a shimmy of his hips and a drop of his shoulder, a piece of skill that was pure instinct, he was away.

He drove forward, the Inter players trailing in his wake, the pitch opening up in front of him like the Red Sea parting. He had options. He could have played in Connor, who was making a run down the middle.

He could have found Tom on the wing, who was screaming for the ball. But he only had one thing on his mind.

As he reached the edge of the Inter box, with the clock ticking into the ninety-second minute, with the entire ground holding its breath, he looked up, and with a swing of his right foot, he unleashed a thunderous, unstoppable volley that flew into the top corner of the net, the ball hitting the back of the net with a satisfying thud.

3-2.

The ground erupted. The bench erupted. I erupted, my arms in the air, a primal roar escaping my lips. It was a goal of breathtaking audacity, a goal of sheer, unadulterated genius, a goal that would be talked about for years to come. A goal worthy of winning any match.

At the final whistle, there was pandemonium. The players were ecstatic, a sea of red and blue celebrating a hard-fought, dramatic victory, the kind of victory that forges bonds, that creates memories.

Eze was mobbed by his teammates, the hero of the hour, his face a picture of pure joy. Semenyo was on his knees, tears streaming down his face, a mixture of joy and relief, the weight of the last three weeks, the weight of his trial, the weight of his future, all pouring out of him in that moment.

I walked onto the pitch, a huge grin on my face, my heart pounding in my chest, and hugged them both, pulling them close, feeling their sweat and their tears and their joy. "You did it," I said, my voice thick with emotion, barely able to get the words out. "You both did it. You were incredible."

As the players made their way back to the changing room, their arms around each other, singing and laughing, Gary approached me, his face a mask of calm, but his eyes were shining, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Bring them both to my office Monday morning," he said, his voice low and steady, his words carefully measured.

"9 am. Don't be late." He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest, my mind racing. Both of them. He wanted to see both of them. That could only mean one thing.

In the changing room, the celebrations were in full swing. The players were singing, laughing, reliving the key moments of the match. Reece, our captain, was leading the songs, his voice ringing out above the others.

Nya was dancing, his energy seemingly boundless. Connor was grinning, his earlier frustration forgotten. And in the center of it all, Eze and Semenyo, surrounded by their teammates, their faces glowing with pride and happiness.

I stood in the doorway, watching them, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction that I'd never felt before. This was what it was all about. This was why I did this job.

Sarah came up beside me, her hand on my shoulder. "You did it, Danny," she said, her voice soft. "You actually did it. You developed two players in three weeks. That's incredible." Rebecca and Michael joined us, their faces beaming.

"That's coaching, boss," Michael said. "That's development. That's what it's all about." I nodded, unable to speak, the emotion threatening to overwhelm me.

Later that evening, back in my flat, I sat on the balcony, a beer in my hand, the London skyline twinkling in the darkness. My phone rang. Emma.

"5-1!" she said, her voice excited.

I laughed. "3-2," I corrected her.

"Even better," she said.

"More dramatic. Semenyo scored!"

"And assisted," I said, the pride evident in my voice. "He was brilliant. They both were."

"See?" she said. "I told you. You did it."

"We did it," I said. "The staff, the players, everyone."

"Don't downplay it," she said, her voice firm.

"You developed two players in three weeks. That's all you."

"Gary wants to see them Monday morning," I said, the words tumbling out.

"He's going to keep them both," she said, her voice confident.

"I hope so," I said.

"He will," she said.

"Trust me. I love you."

"I love you too," I said, and hung up, a smile on my face.

[SYSTEM] Match Result: 3-2 Win (Preseason Record: 3-0-0, Undefeated!).

[SYSTEM] Player Update: Eberechi Eze.

Tactical Familiarity: 61% -> 70%.

Strength: 9/20 -> 10/20.

Stamina: 10/20 -> 11/20.

[SYSTEM] Player Update: Antoine Semenyo.

Positioning: 8/20 -> 10/20.

Decision-Making: 6/20 -> 8/20.

Work Rate: 8/20 -> 10/20.

Current Ability: 91 -> 95.

[SYSTEM] Achievement Unlocked: The Developer - Successfully developed two players simultaneously.

[SYSTEM] New Skill: Individual Player Development (Level 1) - +10% effectiveness in one-on-one coaching.

I stared at the notifications, a sense of accomplishment washing over me. We'd done it. Against all odds, we'd done it. Monday morning couldn't come soon enough.

***

Thank you to nameyelus and chisum_lane for the gifts

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.