Tenacious Tackles

Chapter 3:Signing On

I'm in the car on my way to signing my contract and have been informed I have a chance to meet some players who are there too. I hope I meet Van Ewijk as he plays my position so i like him.I open my phone to ask how Caleb got on.

WhatsApp:
Karl:
Was just wondering how you got on as you were also at the trials.

Pacey Boy🏃💨:
Very good, I was given a contract they said they liked my fast runs and finishing.

Karl:
No wonder they like your pace🤣

Pacey Boy🏃💨:
Yeah🤣

I exit WhatsApp and put my phone in the pouch of the seat infront of me. I look out the window and see the Coventry training ground. We park up and walk through the automatic doors where we arrive in reception alongside 2 other kids with their parents too.

My parents are told by the receptionist that the person who is going to give us our contracts is on his way now.

We are called into a room that has a blue wall with the club's sponsors and their league etc. I sit at the table and look ay my contract but something is wrong. Its says U18s but I should be in the U16s group. I point it out but am told I am getting pushed up a year due to my talent in their words.

I sign the contract, obviously, then am taken to another room with 3 players from Coventry: Ellis Simms, Victor Torp and... Van Ewijk! I take a picture with all of them and then due to them having a training day they quickly then have to leave for that.

Time Skip: first training session

I arrive at my first training session and am introduced by the coach. I notice I am the only new player there as the rest are in the U15/U16s and they don't have an U17s. I was informed that if i dont get much play time or im not performing too well ill be put into the U16s.

We first do some rondos and i win the ball a few times in the middle and only make two mistakes whilst passing but my manager teaches me how to do it better. We then do a passing game where we pass it into a midfielder who lays it to the other one and that one plays a through ball to an attacker.

We do more drills and then after we do a game just to practice game realistic stuff as a one time thing. My team wins 3-1 and I assisted one of the goals. After the game my manager says he was impressed with my performance and that he expects me to be a good player for them.

Another Time Skip (Sorry)

It is my first game for the youth academy of Coventry and im playing against Leed's academy. Im subbed on at half time and start off with winning some challenges and simple passes to keep possesion. It gets to the 80th minute and I do my one true love of a move and that is an overlap. I cross it in on my striker's head (Jay) he flicks it into the far bottom corner scoring, making it 1-0.

The ball kicks off again and they go on the counter they play a ball through their player is now 1 on 1 against the keeper, about 10 metres from the box. Until, I run as fast as I can and do a slide tackle winning the ball cleanly and then quickly getting up to clear it. This clearance luckily makes it's way over the top to the right winger (Jaxon) and he crosses it but the header hits the post and the game finishes 1-0.

I then recieve credit for my great game and man of the match. In my coaches words, "First game, man of the match and more to come."