If William enjoys his life comfortably while on holiday, not with the world - let alone football fans.
It didn't take long for the world of English football to realize that the power map of the 2017/2018 Premier League season had just shifted. While Manchester City celebrated a landslide 4-1 victory over Everton, the results of other matches in the second week emphasized the dominance of other big teams.
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United have just slaughtered Swansea City with an identical score of 4-0, making City's city rivals top of the standings. Elsewhere, Chelsea managed to steal full points at Wembley after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 through Marcos Alonso's brace, while Liverpool narrowly won 1-0 over Crystal Palace. However, even though United scored lots of goals, the focus of all observers and media was focused on what happened at the Etihad Stadium.
The internet literally exploded after the final whistle blew. On platform X (formerly Twitter), the hashtags #WilliamCarter and #8Seconds topped the world's trending topics for hours. An amateur video from the stands recording William's precise pass to Agüero in the eighth second was viewed more than ten million times in just one night.
@Reyhaert2: AN EXTRAORDINARY PLAYER, William's play in these two matches was like a football fairy tale–an 18 year old boy who debuted in the Premier League scored 1 goal and 2 assists! Maybe it's too much because it's only the second game–but look at him playing like a veteran.
@BrusSky34: Can we talk about Aguero? He has scored 3 goals in just 2 matches, to be honest if he continues to perform like this he will already hold the title of top scorer even before the league ends.
@Lo_Mestre: "City don't mess around. And what a game William is! Trust me—this kid will be even better than Gerard."
@RobertoCordova: "William's performance gave me goosebumps. He didn't even look nervous. Very calm in front of goal, his passing was incredible. This player will be a legend."
Manchester City fans in online forums began labeling William "The Prince," while rival supporters began to feel anxious. The official Premier League account even uploaded a photo of William jumping on Kyle Walker's back with the caption: "A New Maestro is Born".
They even made footage of William's performance in these two matches and uploaded it to the Manchester City Fans YouTube channel. Fans listed his clever passes, his assists in the first match, his assists and goals in the second match – his First Touch was perfect in every pass he received.
Not only fans, well-known football observers were also amazed. On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville spent fifteen minutes just analyzing William's statistics, which achieved a FotMob score of 8.7.
Gary Neville: "Often we see young players with pace, but it's rare to see an 18-year-old with this kind of composure and vision. He sets the tone of the game as if he's been playing in this league for ten years."
Jamie Carragher: "Look at his positioning. He's always in space. His diagonal pass to Sané before the fourth goal is something we usually only see from players like Xabi Alonso or Pirlo."
However, Alan Shearer had a more measured opinion: "Manchester City played very well in the 2 matches, William's performance was also extraordinary when he played as a substitute or starter. The short passing of the Manchester City players really shows that Pep Guardiola has controlled all the players according to his wishes and tactics. But we cannot praise them too much – because Mourinho's Manchester United played very well – and remember that Guardiola's beautiful play can be blocked by Mourinho's defensive play. Talking about this makes me eagerly await the match of the two neighboring teams this"
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In the midst of a chaotic world like this, William actually enjoys his life in the morning with his parents and younger siblings.
Even though he knew and read about everything on the internet since yesterday, he thought it was all normal.
In his previous life he would read about it continuously because he felt very proud if other people praised him, but that changed when he suffered an ACL injury.
So in this life, he doesn't want to be too influenced by the praises - because he knows that the more praise he gets, the greater the pressure he receives because of the fans' expectations.
Today is training day again and William is preparing to go to training.
William stepped out of the house carrying his sports bag. Instead of driving himself like last afternoon, his father, who didn't have a work schedule, insisted on taking him.
"Come on, famous person. Let Dad take you today," said his father as he opened the door of their black Range Rover.
William just smiled while shaking his head at what his father said.
During his journey through the streets of Manchester, his father never stopped discussing the development of William's career. However, William was mostly silent as he stared out the window, paying attention to several billboards which now displayed his face as part of the team's promotion. In his previous life, he might have felt very proud, but after experiencing the bitterness of an ACL injury, he learned that popularity is only a temporary decoration if it is not accompanied by consistent performance.
On the way, a system panel appeared faintly in front of him, visible only to William's own eyes.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: SPECIAL TRAINING SESSION ]
[Target: Use the skill (The Puppeteer's Strings) at least 5 times in today's internal game session.]
[Reward: Physical synchronization with increased speed statistics and additional statistics in the +5 acceleration subcategory.]
William clenched his fists. He knows that even though his overall statistics have improved, his body still needs time to really get used to his new speed so that he doesn't easily experience muscle cramps as Guardiola and Arteta feared.
And seeing his statistical subcategory increase by +5, William felt that this was an opportunity to become more stable in the match – with increased acceleration William could play more freely, especially with a teammate like De Bruyne who had sharp passes and cut through the opponent's defense, initial acceleration was very important to achieve something more in the match.
The Range Rover finally stopped right in front of the CFA security gate. Several photographers who were waiting outside immediately pointed their cameras at the car, hoping to get a photo of the young player which was going viral.
"Just stop here, Dad. Thank you for the lift," said William as he got out of the car.
"Work hard, son. Remember what Rooney said, stay grounded," said his father as he waved before turning the car around.
William took a deep breath, adjusted his focus before stepping into the building. He passed through the main hallway and passed Phil Foden who was already wearing his training uniform.
"William! You came just on time," shouted Foden enthusiastically. "Get ready, I see Pep has brought his new tactics board onto the pitch. Looks like he has big plans for you today."
William just smiled faintly. "Let's see if his grand plan can keep up with what I want to do."
The two of them walked and finally reached the front of the dressing room. After taking a deep breath and calming themselves down, they entered the dressing room which was already starting to become noisy with the distinctive aroma of massage oil and the sound of the players' laughter. As soon as the door opened, Kyle Walker's eyes immediately fell on William and Foden who were walking side by side.
"Oh look who's come! Two princes from Manchester who are waiting for the moment to play together," said Kyle Walker.
Several other players who were already sitting in front of their lockers looked over. Raheem Sterling, who was tying his shoelaces, chimed in, "Be careful, Kyle. If you keep teasing them, William might not give you another cross in the next game."
William just smiled faintly, putting his sports bag in locker number 11. "I'll still give you a pass, Kyle, as long as you can still catch it," he joked, triggering laughter in the corner of the room.
Gabriel Jesus then came over and patted William hard on the shoulder. "How was your holiday, Prince? I saw your videos everywhere. You're really a star in Korea, huh?"
"Stars in Korea?" William asked confusedly. After remembering for a while, he finally realized, "Ahh, that's the problem, maybe because my cousins uploaded photos when we were little and tagged me on Instagram and Twitter yesterday after the match, so more people know that I have Korean blood - even though my grandfather is the only Korean in our family."
"My mother and family are very happy," William continued as he started to change clothes. "But for me that's in the past. Now it's time to focus again."
"Not as fun as usual, you know Korean women, especially idols, are very beautiful! With your charm, maybe you can introduce me to some women," interrupted Sterling with a grin on his face.
"You always say that every time you talk to William," said Bernardo Silva from across the room with a mocking face.
"Tch–I'm just taking advantage of our handsome colleague," Sterling replied while clicking his tongue.
This once again filled the room with laughter.
Kompany, the captain who always looks calm, approached the group of young people. "William is right. Don't be too carried away by praise on the internet. This league changes very quickly. Today you are a hero, tomorrow they will look for you if you make a mistake. But, to be honest, your performance yesterday really deserved all the praise."
Kevin De Bruyne, who was sitting not far away, nodded in agreement without taking his eyes off his cellphone. "Maintain those standards, kid. The standards you set yesterday were very high, don't let them drop."
Just as the atmosphere in the dressing room was getting warmer with tactical chatter between players, the sound of regular footsteps could be heard from the hallway. The door opened again, and this time the atmosphere suddenly became more disciplined.
Guardiola entered with a serious face but still brought positive energy, followed by Lorenzo Buenaventura, the assistant physical trainer who was ready with his tablet and fitness records. Pep clapped twice to gather the attention of everyone in the room.
"Okay, guys. Calm down," Guardiola's firm voice immediately cut through the noise. "You've enjoyed your holiday, now it's time to get back to work. We have big plans today."
"For some of our young players, especially William, join Lorenzo before joining the main training with other senior players," continued Guardiola.
Guardiola's plan to develop William into a stronger and tougher player must be done in stages, but he cannot just maximize William alone, so he made several young players train together with William. William is now very young – at 18 years old, his body is still developing, and a sudden increase in muscle mass can put stress on his ligaments and joints, especially under the demands of high-intensity matches. The goal isn't just to make it bigger—it's to make it durable and explosive.
While William underwent strength training, Manchester City's physical trainer Lorenzo Buenaventura watched closely. "Your posture is good, and your body condition is stable and under control." While watching William do squats with a barbell, "remember that this exercise is not just about how much weight you can lift or use, but about doing it correctly – because the right technique is more important than anything."
William sighed as he finished the last rep and put the barbell back in place. "I know, Coach. It's just that I feel frustrated because I should be more advanced–but it seems like my body isn't ready to go further."
"It's okay, you are still young and you have to remember that you are still 18 years old. Don't put too much pressure on your body – I don't want to give advice to someone who has talent as high as you but remember that the human body has limits and if you know that your talent is higher than your physique then your task is not to maximize your talent but to make your talent fit your body" Lorenzo said "Remember that there are players whose bodies are destroyed because their talent is greater than the limits of their human body" he continued while giving William a towel.
As they move on to lunges, Lorenzo explains the reasoning behind each exercise. "This exercise is about balance and stability. You need it when spinning past defenders or holding your position under pressure. This is functional strength—not just a number in the gym."
William focused his attention on her movements, his breathing remained even though it felt heavy. The burden is challenging, but still manageable. "How long before I start feeling it on the court?" he asked as he changed legs.
"You'll feel it sooner than you think," Lorenzo answered. "But don't focus on the time frame. Focus on attendance, doing the work, and letting the results come naturally."
By the end of the session, William and the other players' shirts were soaked with sweat, and their muscles felt sore.
When they finished stretching, Lorenzo patted William on the back. "Good training session today. Let's keep it up and as long as you stay motivated, you'll soon be dominating the league once you get the chance to play except for William who could possibly be a substitute."
William actually doesn't need anyone to remind him to stay motivated or enthusiastic. He has been given a second chance to realize his dream of once again becoming a professional player, and he is not going to waste it. Every moment, every decision, is driven by his determination to reach the top of the football world. His goal is unwavering: to one day lift the Ballon d'Or, the ultimate symbol of the best.