The week passed exceptionally fast for Omari. True to his word, Jurg made them have intense training session everyday of the week, except for Friday. He gave them a rest so they won't be too fatigued for the match against Merseyside.
After the final training session, he called the boys together and did a final tactical meeting with them before they were set to go away for the weekend.
During the week though, Omari's life felt like torture. Neglecting the fact that literally everything else in his life was falling into place, he felt like fate was just having a laugh with him.
Although he had a few more 'chats' with Amber, her usual merry go attitude didn't seem the same as before. It seemed… forced.
So while he was stuck thinking what it was that he did to make her act in such a way, he was cramped inside the squad bus with a bunch of other teenagers for the next two to three hours.
The seating didn't exactly go his way either, he was stuck between two squad players he'd barely interacted with.
Almost immediately the bus started, he put a couple of ear pods into each of his ears and slouched into his seat. His eyelids closed slowly after. One couldn't blame him; he was in a bus filled with people that he barely interacted with.
Barely three hours later, they got to the hotel. They still had to wait inside the team bus for a while because Jurg hadn't sort out their accommodation arrangement yet. After everything was done, they all went into the hotel.
Unlike when they arrived at Manchester, they were arranged according to the pairing of the manager who wanted to increase the relationship between his players hence, took to pairing them randomly. Lucky for Omari, he was paired with Jack.
"You nervous about the match?" Jack asked Omari as soon as they settled down inside their room. Omari was on his bed playing with his phone while Jack was reading some tactical information.
"Nah, I'm actually pretty chill about it". Omari shrugged. "Like the coach said, it should be an easy three points".
"Easy three points?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "If there's anything that I've learned throughout my entire career, it's that there's nothing such as an easy three points. Never. Underestimate. The. Enemy!" Jack screamed at Omari's face.
At first, Omari didn't understand the reason why Jack was so upset. It was only after a few moments that he remembered.
"Shit!" Omari muttered under his breath. He turned to face Jack and apologized. "I'm sorry man, I won't underestimate them. We're going to work hard and fuck 'em up!"
Jack smiled when he heard Omari's change in attitude. He fumbled with his stuff for a bit and brought out a football and a training outfit.
Within minutes, he was changed and headed out of the room. "I'm gonna go train for a bit".
Omari unconsciously nodded at him and waited for him to leave before heaving a sigh of relief. A bead of sweat formed over his head.
While Jack hadn't mentioned anything about it in this life, in his last life everyone knew his story.
He was just some boy that grew up in one of the toughest parts of Liverpool, Kirkby to be precise. By luck, one of the scouts at the academy saw him play football and was amazed by his talent, he was immediately scouted to play for the under eight team at Merseyside.
He did very well until he had an injury when he was nine years old. Due to the injury, he became a shadow of his former self, his shots were less accurate, he couldn't pass as well as he would've wanted to and the likes.
The club thought that his condition would improve but seeing as things didn't get any better, he was released when he was thirteen.
Releasing him didn't really mean anything to the club, in fact it was the most logical thing that they could've done since his condition really wasn't improving, but to Jack it was something else… it was the club that he supported all his life turning its back on him when he needed them the most.
It didn't take long for him to be scouted by Teesside and the rest is history.
Omari sucked in some air when he remembered the story. He found it scary anytime he thought that Jack was only a downgraded version of whatever he was supposed to become if he didn't have an injury.
He remembered the Unlimited Potential System and wondered what Jack's potential would've been if it was him that found the system instead of Omari.
The story also humbled him. He remembered what each and every single one of the players in the under eighteens were. They were all teenagers striving to make a name for themselves.
Some of them were people from less fortunate backgrounds trying to put food on their tables, some of them had dreams that they wanted to fulfill, some were less fortunate and got a chance to live out their dreams, but what connected everyone together was the fact that they all noted one thing… to play!
That was the reason why they trained their bodies to the max, they all went through extremely intense fitness sessions, crammed tactics into their heads, sacrificed everything important to them… because they wanted to play!
That was the main reason why anyone chased after football…
To play… at the grandest stage!
A/N:
Hey guys, I know a lot of you are understandably angry at me right now but I haven't really been feeling okay the last week. I was at the hospital for a couple of days, but I'm fine now (at least the doctor said I should be). Updates will continue at its usual rate (I'll put in a lot of bonus chapters now to make up for the five day chapter deficiency).
Remember the goals guys!!
Fifty power stones = I extra chapter.