Chapter Summaries

In 2010, Maël, a football-loving office worker from 2024 reborn as an Arsenal under-17 trialist, struggled to keep his place despite his mediocre abilities and worn-out boots. After Head Coach Hans lent him a pair of boots, Maël discovered a system that measured his skill proficiency, giving him hope that practice could improve him.

• Maël learned that his six-month Arsenal trial would end in twenty-one days and feared he would have to return to France if the club did not renew it.
• Maël trained alone despite his boots coming apart, determined to improve his chances of staying at Arsenal.
• Hans noticed Maël's damaged boots, lent him a pair, and encouraged him to use them through the rest of his trial.
• Maël resumed shooting practice and entered a focused state as he worked on his long shots.
• A skill panel appeared, showing Maël's Long Shot at level 1 with 34/100 proficiency and explaining that practice could raise athletic abilities to level 5.
• Maël accepted the panel as a chance to improve through practice and ran to collect the balls with renewed energy.

Maël relentlessly trained his Long Shot skill and raised it to level 2, gaining the chance to hit superb-quality long shots when fully prepared. After his uncle encouraged him and sent him money for new boots, Maël continued pushing himself at Arsenal's youth academy.

• Maël practiced Long Shots until his proficiency reached 61/100, then told himself he would train more the next day.
• Maël's uncle called to check on him, and Maël promised his little sister Ava he would take her for pizza and hoped to play football on TV by her summer vacation.
• Maël received 300 euros from his uncle, who urged him to buy football boots and wished him success at Arsenal.
• On Sunday, Maël borrowed ten footballs and trained through exhaustion, pausing only to eat lunch and recover.
• Maël kept shooting until his legs gained strength and his shooting Muscle Memory improved, unlocking Brutal Long Shot lv2.

After Maël improved his Long Shot, he used his new shooting ability to hit Ian with a football after Ian taunted him. The next morning, Maël began strength training and discovered he had gained a new Strength skill.

• Maël reached Long Shot lv2 and decided to focus on improving it before his Arsenal Youth Academy trial period ended.
• Ian mocked Maël over his part-time work and temporary contract, and Maël deliberately kicked a football into Ian’s stomach before leaving the pitch.
• Two of Ian’s teammates tried to retaliate by shooting at Maël, but their attempts missed.
• During Arsenal U17’s strength training, Head Coach Hans emphasized the need for physical strength and warned the players not to slack off.
• Maël saw that he had gained Strength lv1 through training and wondered why its proficiency matched his Long Shot skill.

Maël planned to raise his Long Shot and Strength skills before Arsenal’s June 30 friendly against Liverpool U17, where seven trial players would compete for two places. Meanwhile, Wenger faced a lack of summer investment and began considering promotions from the youth team and recalls from loan.

• Hans told the seven trial players that only two would earn places and announced they would all play against Liverpool U17 on June 30.
• Maël decided to train Long Shot and Strength in parallel, then saw his Strength proficiency had risen to 133 out of 300.
• Wenger asked assistant coach Phillis whether he would leave Arsenal with him, then explained that Kroenke and Usmanov were deadlocked over buying full ownership of the club.
• Wenger spotted Maël training hard at Colney and called him interesting, while Phillis questioned whether such intense practice was useful.
• Wenger told Phillis that Arsenal would have to rely on its own players, so they needed to promote youth players and recall players out on loan.

Maël endured a demanding training routine while Ian and several teammates mocked his dedication and questioned his future. During finishing practice, Maël stunned the U17 team with a powerful long-range goal, and Head Coach Hans immediately asked him to repeat it; Maël struck another shot.

• Maël kept up his intense training despite sore muscles and ignored Ian and other teammates as they mocked his hard work and living arrangements.
• Maël performed averagely in heading, tap-ins, and other finishing drills before the team began long-range shooting practice.
• Captain Gilbert scored with a curled shot, and the players took turns shooting while Hans offered corrections.
• Maël blasted a shot past Hopkins and into the net off the crossbar, leaving the team stunned by its speed and angle.
• Ian and his companions dismissed Maël's goal as luck, but Hans rolled him another ball to test the shot again.
• Maël controlled the new ball, set his left foot, and struck another powerful shot toward goal.

Maël scored a second powerful long-range goal during training, drawing praise from his teammates and cautious hope from Hans. His diary chronicled his punishing practice and growing strength, and the chapter ended with Wenger finding him celebrating alone at the training base.

• Maël scored another long-range shot past Hopkins, silencing Ian and the others and impressing Hans.
• Maël recorded his daily shooting and strength training, adjusted his diet on Carl's advice, and wrote about wanting to reach the Premier League.
• Wenger reflected on his devotion to Arsenal as he walked through Colney Training Base on June 28.
• Wenger heard someone celebrating in the gym, guessed it was Maël, and asked him what he was so happy about.

Maël raised Strength to level 2 and Long Shot to level 3 while preparing for the trial players’ selection match against Liverpool. Coach Hans announced the starting lineup and said Wenger might attend, leaving Maël eager to prove himself in the match.

• Maël celebrated Strength reaching level 2 after nearly twenty days of training and spotted a figure he thought might be Wenger leaving the gym area.
• Coach Hans announced a 4-3-3 starting lineup for the friendly, with Maël, Gabi, and Lewandowski leading the attack.
• Hans told the players that Wenger was likely to watch the match, and he refused to change the lineup or break his promise that the seven trial players would play the full match.
• Maël trained briefly in the afternoon and raised his Long Shot skill to level 3, gaining the ability to make occasional shots of exceptional quality.

Arsenal U17 and Liverpool U17 began their match at Colney Training Base as Wenger and scouts watched from the sidelines. Maël made an early impression by knocking a defender down and firing the match’s first shot just over the crossbar.

• Arsenal and Liverpool U17 players warmed up as fans and scouts gathered to watch, and Wenger arrived to applause.
• Scouts from Leeds United, Sheffield United, and Burnley discussed whether Arsenal might sell or loan young players such as Gilbert.
• Maël took his place on Arsenal’s left wing and assessed Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 formation before kickoff.
• Liverpool pressed forward with long balls, but Arsenal’s goalkeeper Hopkins caught their cross and launched the ball toward Gilbert.
• Gilbert flicked the ball toward Maël, who charged into the Liverpool defender, took possession, and cut toward the middle.
• Maël shot from range, sending the ball just over the crossbar, then grew more eager to receive the ball again.

Maël impressed Arsenal and Wenger with his shooting as Arsenal faced Liverpool’s U17 team. After Liverpool took the lead, Maël struck back with a powerful long-range goal, leaving the match level.

• Ian criticized Maël’s earlier shot, but Hans and the Arsenal players encouraged him, while Hopkins advised Ian not to antagonize him.
• Liverpool captain Gilbert lost possession in the 13th minute, and Liverpool’s No. 9 headed in the opening goal past Hopkins.
• Gilbert apologized, and Maël encouraged him before Arsenal restarted play.
• In the 21st minute, Gilbert passed to Maël, who held off Liverpool’s center back and fired a long shot that the goalkeeper tipped out for a corner.
• Liverpool cleared the corner, but Maël collected the ball outside the penalty area and blasted it into the net.

Maël equalized for Arsenal with a long-range shot, but Liverpool’s stronger lineup took control and built a 3–1 lead. Gilbert scored in the 67th minute to narrow the gap and leave Arsenal with a chance to fight back.

• Maël scored with a long-range shot to make it 1–1, drawing praise from the Arsenal supporters, Hans, and Mr. Wenger.
• Liverpool pressed Arsenal and scored in the 44th minute after Hopkins saved a headed shot and the rebound struck the post before a midfielder finished it.
• Ian complained about Arsenal’s defending and disparaged his teammates, drawing anger from Gilbert, Maël, Hans, and Mr. Wenger.
• Liverpool’s Number 6 took a long-range shot in the 51st minute, and Ian’s attempted block deflected the ball past Hopkins to make it 3–1.
• Maël urged his teammates to restart quickly after Liverpool’s goal, while Ian worried that his performance had hurt his chances with Wenger.
• Gilbert received a layoff from Maël, dribbled past three Liverpool players, and scored in the 67th minute to make it 3–2.

Maël scored his second long-range goal to bring Arsenal level with Liverpool at 3–3, impressing Wenger and the fans. Wenger warned Hans that the club would judge his coaching by the young players’ First Team performances, leaving Maël with a chance to stand out further.

• Gilbert celebrated his goal with his Arsenal teammates, while Maël noted that he had already contributed a goal and an assist.
• Gilbert urged Arsenal to keep pushing for a win, and Liverpool’s coach ordered his defenders to stop Maël from receiving the ball.
• Wenger told Hans that Gilbert and Ian had been selected for First Team consideration, then agreed to remove Ian after hearing about his conduct.
• Maël turned past a defender and struck a powerful shot into the far corner, completing his brace and making the score 3–3.
• Arsenal’s fans celebrated Maël’s goal as Wenger watched him from the sideline.

After Maël’s performance helped Arsenal draw 3–3 with Liverpool, scouts assessed his potential and Wenger withheld judgment on promoting him to the First Team. Maël celebrated his likely place at Arsenal while Carl faced the prospect of leaving, ending the chapter in tears as Maël comforted him.

• Maël impressed Wenger with his shooting and physicality, but Wenger said he needed to see him play again before deciding whether to promote him.
• Scouts from Sheffield United, Burnley, and Leeds United recorded mixed assessments of Maël, with Sheffield United rating his potential B+ and Burnley judging him unsuitable for the Premier League.
• Arsenal’s trial lineup finished level with Liverpool, and the Liverpool Head Coach angrily berated his players after the 3–3 draw.
• Gilbert congratulated Maël on likely staying at Arsenal, while Maël and Carl reflected on how their fortunes had diverged.
• Carl wished Maël success and joked about boasting of his future achievements, then began trembling as Maël hugged and comforted him.

After the trial match, Maël planned how to improve his abilities and received a message from Hans asking him to come to the office. Meanwhile, Sheffield United scout Joelson gambled on recommending both Gilbert and Arsenal’s Number 31 to his desperate club.

• Maël decided to build up his basic football and physical abilities before specializing in a few skills.
• Maël received a message from Hans telling him to come to the office and went to shower and change before leaving.
• Joelson called Sheffield United’s management and said Gilbert was unlikely to be available because Wenger had watched him play.
• Joelson told the club that Arsenal’s Number 31 had matched Gilbert’s impact and urged them to pursue both players.
• The club’s representative trusted Joelson’s judgment and told him to stay at Colney Training Base while they contacted Arsenal about a loan.

Maël signed his first contract with Arsenal's Youth Academy, earning £800 a week, then learned that Sheffield United wanted to loan him and Gilbert. He and Gilbert agreed to sign three-year Arsenal First Team professional contracts before joining the loan move.

• Maël met Coach Hans and signed an Arsenal Youth Academy contract paying £800 a week.
• Maël called his family and told them he had stayed with the club and would send gifts after receiving his first paycheck.
• Hans called Maël back to his office, where Gilbert joined them and they learned Sheffield United wanted to take them on loan.
• Hans presented Maël and Gilbert with Arsenal First Team contracts offering £2,500 a week for three years and a £5 million release clause.
• Maël and Gilbert agreed to the Sheffield United loan terms and began signing their professional contracts.

Maël and Gilbert signed loan contracts to join Sheffield United Team, each receiving a £2,500 weekly wage and a signing fee. As Maël prepared to leave Colney Training Base, he shared the news and part of his earnings with his family, then looked ahead to setting off the next day.

• Maël reviewed the loan contract and joked that he wanted a £4,000 weekly wage before he and Gilbert laughed with Hans.
• Hans explained that Maël and Gilbert would each receive £50,000 in signing fees before taxes and fees, and they signed their contracts.
• Maël and Gilbert packed to leave for Sheffield, and Maël spent the night revisiting Colney Training Base and saying goodbye to it.
• Maël told his uncle that Sheffield United Team had loaned him and that he would send £3,000 home for his family.
• Maël shared that his wages could rise after he played matches, and his uncle, aunt, and sister celebrated the news.

Maël and Gilbert left Arsenal U17 for Sheffield United, where scout Joelson explained the club’s relegation struggle and urged them to give everything if they represented Sheffield. They arrived in the city and settled in for the night while Joelson looked for rental housing.

• Maël and Gilbert said farewell to Coach Hans and the Arsenal U17 players, with Maël returning Hans’s boots and encouraging his former teammates to meet him on the professional pitch.
• Joelson drove Maël and Gilbert toward Sheffield, and the two agreed to travel by pickup rather than take the high-speed train.
• Joelson told Maël and Gilbert that Sheffield United had lost several players, aimed only to avoid relegation, and could offer them a chance to earn playing time.
• Joelson called the two of them the team’s last hopes and asked them to give everything for Sheffield if they got the chance to represent it.
• Maël and Gilbert arrived at a hotel, agreed to share a rental with a monthly budget of about three thousand pounds, and Joelson went to look for nearby housing.

After settling into their new Sheffield apartment, Maël and Gilbert visited the training base and began practicing. Gilbert started to read Maël’s crosses, while Maël gained the Cross lv1 skill.

• Maël and Gilbert chose a furnished apartment on Cherry Street with a view of Bramall Lane Stadium, and Joelson told them about his appearances there.
• Joelson took Maël and Gilbert to a sporting-goods street, where Maël bought several pairs of boots, then drove them to Sheffield Training Base.
• Gilbert performed a cautious sign-of-the-cross ritual before stepping onto the training pitch, then agreed to practice heading Maël’s crosses without switching roles.
• Gilbert gradually learned to predict where Maël’s crosses would land, and Maël’s Cross lv1 skill appeared with 29/100 proficiency.

Maël trained his crossing and dribbling with Gilbert, unlocking Cross and raising several skills as he prepared to compete for a place at Sheffield United. Two days before the players gathered, he reached Curve Cross lv2 and began delivering accurate curved crosses.

• Maël unlocked Cross after an hour of practice and planned to raise it before the season began.
• Maël chose Bicycle Kick as his dribbling technique and repeatedly practiced against Gilbert, who kept dispossessing him.
• Maël and Gilbert trained together over the following days while adjusting to life in Sheffield.
• On July 8, Maël raised Curve Cross to lv2 and repeatedly sent accurate crosses for Gilbert to head toward goal.
• Maël reflected that he had raised several abilities, while Gilbert wondered if his heading and jumping showed he could dominate in the air.

Maël and Gilbert reported to Sheffield United, where Joelson explained the club's personnel crisis and Gareth Speed's expected rise to manager. They completed their medicals and signed their contracts, leaving with new jerseys and photos marking their official arrival.

• Maël and Gilbert arrived at Sheffield United's Training Base for reporting day, and Joelson explained the medical, photo shoot, and intrasquad match schedule.
• Joelson revealed that Head Coach Kevin was expected to be replaced and that Gareth Speed was the likely successor, while still registered as a player and serving as first assistant coach.
• Maël and Gilbert completed their medicals and learned that Gareth Speed had chosen to sign them.
• Gareth Speed welcomed Maël and Gilbert in the Media Room, and both signed contracts to become official Sheffield United members.
• Maël received his Number 31 jersey, and he and Gilbert posed for photographs with Gareth Speed.

Maël joined Sheffield's intra-squad training match and scored a powerful opening goal for the Yellow Team. The match continued with his teammates rushing to celebrate around him.

• After the signing ceremony, Maël and the other players took photos in their new kits and ate at the team cafeteria.
• Kevin Blackwell introduced himself, assigned the players to Red and Yellow teams, and placed Maël at left winger for the Yellow Team.
• The match began, and Maël was knocked down in a sliding tackle before struggling to win an aerial duel against the Red Team.
• Evans won the ball and passed to Maël, who ran into open space and fired a powerful shot into the near corner.
• The Yellow Team took a one-nil lead, and its players rushed to celebrate with Maël.