"I'm going to be fine, gogo!" Isaac chuckled. His grandmother had phoned him, and she was asking a hundred questions.
She was worried, and it was understandable. She had raised him since he was young, and she loved him dearly. That he knew.
It was this woman that would work as hard as she could, regardless of her health or age. She'd do it so that he would secure himself a bright future, and Isaac truly appreciated all of her efforts.
She was reluctant, letting him travel all the way to the United Kingdom, just for football. It took Patrick Woods speaking to her personally before she gave in.
"Just remember to call me, alright my child?" Her voice came from the phone.
"Of course, goodbye."
And with that, the call ended. For her, he'd have to get that contract. Now, it was his chance. It was funny, however. He'd barely traveled anywhere when he was back in south Africa but now he had gone to both the UK and the US in a space of 3 days. This was truly just like a dream. That was exactly why he had to make the most of it.
That was what he thought as he was led into the hotel in which the team was staying.
There to meet him, was De Zerbi himself. Immediately Isaac respectfully greeted the coach.
"Good morning, coach!"
A smile spread on the face of the coach, a coach who had been praised by the likes of pep guardiola and Jurgen klopp. Isaac could feel his stomach twist and turn as he my the coach.
"Hello, good morning. How are you?" The reply came.
"I'm good, I'm good." Isaac simply said, not knowing what else to say.
"Isaac, right?" De Zerbi asked.
"Yes."
"Good, than I'm looking forward to seeing what you can show me. Tomorrow we'll be in Atlanta, in training we'll see if you have what it takes."
Isaac nodded. He still couldn't comprehend the fact that he was speaking to the headcoach of a big Premier league club. It was like he was within a dream.
After his meeting with the coach, he met the player.
Mitoma, Lewis dunk, Adam lallana... These were people he had seen on television. Now, he stood amongst them, and he would be training amongst them.
The pressure of this overshadowed the fact that he was in a hotel far more luxurious than he had ever seen.
It carried over until the next day, when the players boarded the plane and took off to Atlanta. Isaac simply closed his eyes and slept, since he found it difficult to interact with everyone.
Time passed and soon it was training time.
Fitness drills, and tactical work. That was what happened for a little more than an hour.
Isaac worked himself to death, and he was sprinting back and forth like a mad person.
Those drills were simple, and Isaac knew the real challenge was the actual training.
Roulettes started, and Isaac found himself in the middle. He began sprinting back and forth as he tried to win the ball, and he made sure to put maximum pressure on those who had possession of the ball. He soon forced out a mistake from a player, and won the ball. Than he moved aside and continued passing the ball.
He didn't go to the center again, thankfully. Training went on until it was the last training drill of the day.
11v11
Isaac found himself on a team with the "second string" players. And he was a defensive midfielder. The whistle was blown and the match begin.
Isaac didn't do anything amazing or flashy. However, he played like someone who had 3 lungs, and he never stopped running. He was continually winning the ball, and progressing play.
Time ticked, intensity rose. Flying back and forth, he was like the wind. He never tired, he just went on and on.
Than, he found himself with the ball in the middle of a stream of bodies.
Isaac looked to his left, and to his right. He confirmed something he already knew, he couldn't pass.
"Stop running away from the ball! Be confident..." he didn't need to pass.
A player charged toward him, ready to real the ball.
Isaac pushed the ball forward, than, his right foot raised over the ball in an anticlockwise direction. His left foot did the same, and what followed was beauty.
Hasty reverse stepovers threw the defender off. Then, Isaac pushed the ball past the defender and darted. He found himself loads of space.
So far, it had only been drills that required little time on the ball, and encouraged quick passing and decision making. Isaac did just that, never losing possession but... Here it was his time to shine.
Isaac could see a pathway, a pathway to the goal. An opportunity.
He would not waste it.
He pulled his leg back, and swung it.
THUK!
The ball was sent flying at the goal.