The clock reads three am. I can't sleep and i can feel my anxiety rising. i don't know what's wrong, i just want my dad if i'm being honest. there's only one way i can actually calm down.
I grab my boots and quietly open the door careful not to wake up Millie and i guess Emma, as i walk down the hall towards the stairs i walk on my toes trying not to wake anyone else as soon as i get outside. I grab a ball and put on my shoes.
"Fuck" i sigh to myself after giving up after six keep ups
i try again.
This time i just can't stop, tears fall down my face as the ball goes between my left and right foot.
It's been about fifteen minutes now and i'm smacking the ball into the back of the net, this is the only way my stress is disappearing and the only way i can get get anger i didn't even know i had out
"If you did that in a game i think the crowd would go absolutely mental" A voice scares me
"Oh Mr Southgate, sorry for being out of my room. I'll get heading back up now"
"Hey, it's okay. Football reliefs stress, anger, anxiety. You look a little stressed. Come sit down, let's talk" he says sitting himself on the pitch with his arms behind him "so tell me, what's going on?"
"I don't know what's going on recently, i'm happy. I genuinely am. I'm at such a good point but i just keep getting this feeling of anxiety and that only way i don't feel that is if i'm with my Dad or i'm playing"
"That feelings normal, never feel like it's not normal. I don't know everything that's going on. If you want to tell me you can, if you don't that's completely okay too"
"Things right now are just hectic. Trying to balance the two teams along with school, then there's YouTube, sponsorships, i'm moving out just growing up i guess"
"Remi you're a strong girl, you've went through a lot in your entire life and you really don't realise it. For you to be here today, helping people, constantly trying your best, being an amazing student, that's something that you should be extremely proud of. I wanted to to train with us you know, i've never seen a player like you. The only thing that stopped me was your age. You're brilliant Remi and not just at playing football"
"Thank you Mr Southgate"
"Please just call me Gareth, that make's me feel old"
"okay, sorry" i laugh slightly wiping my tears
"Are you going to be okay? I've heard that to didn't get alone with Harry Kanes kid"
"Millie and I had the best relationship with Emma when we were younger, a lot of personal stuff happened. She stole from us and i got cheated on with her. She really hurt Millie. Stuff she done was unforgivable especially to Millie. I can't forgive her what she done to Mill"
"I'm proud of you girls though, you put your personal stuff aside for football. So, about the two teams. What's going to happen about that?"
"I'm leaving the academy at the end of the season"
"the boys know?"
"not yet, i don't know if i can tell Callum. Liam has had talks about moving up to Scotland to play for a team called Motherwell, Shea is going to under 23s. If i leave. The three people closest to him in that team will be gone. I can't do that to him"
"He loves you, everyone around the two of you can tell that. If you tell him you're leaving i know he will continue to support you constantly. He wants what's best for you and if leaving is what's best for you then that's how it will be"
"Who knew football could be so complicated" i sigh looking up at the sky
"Football is more than just a sport Remi, sometimes it can be good, sometimes it can be bad"
"I like the times when it's good, football saved my life. I know it saved a lot of other peoples. I like making people happy"
Gareth turns around and smiles at me "if you can score a goal from the half way line, i'll let you have cake from the first team base. Even if it is nearly four o'clock in the morning which you are up in two hours actually and you have a game tomorrow, we're now into Friday"
"How many try's do i get"
"i'll give you three"
I stand up and place the ball at the half way line, take a deep breath and kick the ball which hits the back of the net
"Oh my Remi" Gareth laughs in shock "Looks like i owe you a piece of cake"
"Looks like it"
-
"Why don't we have this?" Remi says swallowing a piece of the cake
"None of the teams get this, just me so i hope you can keep a secret"
"I can keep a secret"
"So how long have you actually played football for?"
"Well a ball has been at my feet since before i could walk but i could actually play at around 2"
"Really?"
"Yeah, football is what i wanted to do and i somehow knew that's at 2 years old, mind you i did do competitive cheerleading for about four years"
"Why'd you stop?"
"I was about nine when i started cheer and up until 13 i was exhausted and my dad said i had to choose one, i chose football"
"do you ever miss cheerleading?"
"sometimes but mainly just the social part of it, the coaches really pushed us and being 10 years old and getting screamed at because you can't land a back tuck is scary"
"i can imagine, what about Millie? How did it start with you two"
"It's started really when my dad was 15 and Mason was 17, they came down here but family were allowed down for awards and I was there along with Millie, we were 2 at the time and the first thing we did was pass a ball to each other, ever since then we've been best friends"
"You've been friends as long as Declan and Mason then"
"We're much better than Dec and Mase, people have jokes about that on social media actually. Some of the jokes can be quite funny"
"I've read a few of them yeah, let's get you back to bed. You've got a big game tomorrow it's Friday now"
"Thank you for this Gareth. I really appreciate this"
"You're always welcome Remi"
YOU ARE READING
Footballer Daughter/Remi Foden
FanfictionPhil Foden, yes thee Phil Foden first became a father at just fourteen. Yes, fourteen years old. The day she was born he became very hands on with her, he would look after he when he mother needed a break, which was the majority of the time and over...
