Queenspark City training ground. Early morning. Klaus's first week.
Klaus walks onto the pitch, kit bag over his shoulder, boots in hand. The facilities are immaculate pristine grass, state-of-the-art equipment, staff everywhere.
He's early. Always early.
But he's not the first one here.
MARCO VELLANI 28, Italian midfielder, set-piece specialist. The captain is already stretching near the penalty area. He looks up, nods.
VELLANI: "Santos, right? The kid from Harwich."
KLAUS: "Yeah. Klaus."
VELLANI: "I know who you are. Fifteen goals in a relegated team. Not bad."
KLAUS: "Thanks."
VELLANI: "But this isn't the Championship, kid. Different level. Different pressure."
KLAUS: "I know."
Vellani smiles, not unkindly.
VELLANI: "You'll learn. Come on, let's warm up."
Over the next few days, Klaus meets the squad:
JASON RIVERS (25, English winger): "Mate, welcome! Don't worry about the pressure. We all started somewhere."
DARIUS COLE (23, striker, Klaus's direct competition): "Good to have you, bro. May the best man win." (He says it with a grin, but there's an edge.)
LUCA FONTAINE (31, French defender, club legend): "Work hard, stay humble, you'll be fine."
They're friendly. Professional. But Klaus can feel it he's the new kid. The unproven one and he needs to change that.
MATCH 1: Queenspark vs. Riverside United
Klaus is on the bench. Full 90 minutes. He watches Darius Cole start, score twice, get subbed off in the 80th minute.
Klaus doesn't get on.
MATCH 2: Queenspark vs. Eastport Town
Klaus comes on in the 85th minute. Five minutes. Barely touches the ball. The match is already won 3-0.
MATCH 3: Queenspark vs. Northern Athletic
Klaus comes on in the 78th minute. Twelve minutes. One touch in the box cleared by a defender. No chances. No impact.
Social Media Reactions:
@QPC_Fans: "Klaus Santos barely getting minutes. Was the €20M worth it?"
@FootballWatch: "Queenspark's signing is riding the bench. Loan move incoming?"
@SantosWatch: "Klaus needs games. He's wasting away on that bench."
Klaus reads them in the locker room after Match 3.
Jason Rivers notices.
JASON: "Don't read that stuff, mate. You'll drive yourself mad."
KLAUS: "I'm not mad. I'm motivated."
JASON: "Good. Keep that energy. Your chance will come."
Klaus nods.
It better.
Matchday 4. Queenspark vs. Thornhill Wanderers. Home match.
The score is 2-1 to Queenspark. But Thornhill is pressing hard, finding gaps in the defense.
75th minute:
Darius Cole goes down. Cramps. He can't continue.
The coach, ALAIN BEAUMONT , turns to the bench.
BEAUMONT: "Santos! You're on. Play central. Hold the ball up. Be smart."
Klaus strips off his bib, adrenaline surging.
This is it.
He jogs onto the pitch. The crowd applauds politely they don't know him yet.
78th minute:
Klaus receives the ball near the halfway line. A defender closes him down immediately.
Klaus turns sharply, shields the ball, and drives forward.
A winger on the right is screaming for the pass.
WINGER: "KLAUS! SQUARE IT!"
Klaus looks up. The winger is open. It's the right pass.
But Klaus doesn't pass.
If I pass, I disappear. If I score, I exist.
He keeps driving. Another defender steps up. Klaus cuts inside, beats him with a quick stepover.
Now he's 25 yards from goal. The angle isn't great, but there's space.
He shoots.
The keeper saves it. Palms it out for a corner.
The winger throws his hands up in frustration.
WINGER: "I was open!"
Klaus doesn't respond. He just resets.
81st minute:
Queenspark attacks again. Klaus makes a run into the box. The ball comes to him a half-chance.
He strikes it first time.
Wide. Just wide.
The crowd groans.
COMMENTATOR: "Klaus Santos has had two chances now. He's trying hard, but the quality isn't quite there yet."
Klaus clenches his jaw.
Come on. One more chance. Just one.
84th minute:
Klaus receives the ball at the top of the box. He turns, trying to create space.
A Thornhill defender lunges in late, clumsy and clips Klaus's ankle.
Klaus goes down.
WHISTLE.
Free kick. 23 yards out. Central position.
The stadium rises.
Klaus immediately grabs the ball. He doesn't wait. He doesn't ask. He just places it down with authority.
Vellani is jogging over, already assuming it's his.
VELLANI: "Kid. Move."
Klaus stands over the ball, hands on hips, staring at the goal.
KLAUS: "I'll take it."
The stadium murmurs. Confusion. Curiosity. Doubt.
Vellani stops in front of the ball, blocking Klaus's view.
VELLANI: "Move."
Klaus doesn't argue. He doesn't plead. He just steps to the left, shifting his position slightly.
Vellani takes it as submission. Good. The kid knows his place.
He crouches, adjusting the ball, preparing his run-up.
The referee raises his whistle.
Klaus watches. Waiting.
In the wall, a defender shifts his weight just slightly, leaning right.
There. That's the gap.
The whistle blows.
Klaus strikes instantly.
Low. Hard. Curling left, bending around the wall.
The keeper dives too late.
The net explodes.
3-1.
The stadium erupts.
Klaus stands there for a split second, chest heaving, then pumps his fist and roars.
His teammates swarm him Jason, Luca, even Darius on the bench is clapping.
JASON (laughing): "YOU CHEEKY BASTARD! THAT WAS BRILLIANT!"
LUCA: "Welcome to Queenspark, kid!"
Klaus grins, soaking it in.
My first goal. Finally.
But as the celebration dies down, Klaus glances at Vellani.
Vellani is standing near the halfway line, hands on his hips, jaw tight.
He's not celebrating.
Klaus jogs back to position, adrenaline still pumping.
On the sideline, Vellani walks straight to Coach Beaumont, gesturing sharply.
VELLANI: "Did you see that? He took my free kick!"
Beaumont just listens, arms crossed, face neutral.
VELLANI: "That's disrespectful! He doesn't just—"
BEAUMONT: "Marco. We scored. Get back on the pitch."
Vellani stares at him, incredulous.
VELLANI: "That's it?"
Beaumont doesn't answer. He just turns back to the game.
Vellani shakes his head and jogs back, furious.
FINAL WHISTLE: Queenspark 3 - Thornhill 1.
Klaus walks off the pitch, heart still racing. His teammates clap him on the back, congratulating him.
But Vellani walks past him without a word.
Media area. Klaus stands in front of the Queenspark backdrop, still in his kit, hair damp with sweat.
A reporter holds out a microphone.
REPORTER: "Klaus, how does it feel to score your first goal for the club?"
Klaus takes a breath, the adrenaline still coursing through him.
KLAUS: "It feels... incredible. Really. To finally get that first one, in front of our fans it's special."
REPORTER: "An amazing free kick. What was the plan for it?"
KLAUS: "The plan?"
REPORTER: "Yes, was it practiced, or something else?"
Klaus pauses, glances down, then back up with a slight smile.
KLAUS: "No, it wasn't actually. I just saw a chance and took it."
The reporter raises an eyebrow, intrigued.
REPORTER: "Will we be seeing you take more free kicks this season?"
A silence. Klaus's smile turns cheeky, confident.
KLAUS: "I guess we'll just wait and see."
He nods, thanks the reporter, and walks off, leaving them wanting more.
Queenspark locker room. Post-match.
The mood is celebratory. Music playing. Players laughing, showering, changing.
Klaus sits in his spot, unlacing his boots, still buzzing.
Jason sits beside him.
JASON: "Hell of a goal, mate. Proper cheeky."
KLAUS: "Thanks."
JASON: "Vellani's pissed, though."
KLAUS: "I know."
JASON: "He'll get over it. Probably."
Klaus smirks.
Across the room, Vellani is getting changed, talking loudly to a few other players.
VELLANI: "I'm just saying there's a hierarchy. You don't just take someone's free kick. Not like that."
LUCA (shrugging): "He scored, Marco. Does it matter?"
VELLANI: "It matters because it's disrespectful. He's 18. He needs to learn how things work."
DARIUS (grinning): "Maybe he just wanted it more."
VELLANI: "Oh, so now we're defending this?"
JASON: "Mate, relax. We won. He scored. Move on."
Vellani shakes his head, muttering in Italian.
Then the door opens.
Coach Beaumont walks in.
The room quiets.
Beaumont walks straight to Klaus.
BEAUMONT: "Santos. A word."
Klaus stands, heart sinking.
Here it comes.
Beaumont pulls him aside, just outside the locker room.
BEAUMONT: "What you did out there ,taking Vellani's free kick that's not how we do things here."
Klaus looks down.
KLAUS: "I know, coach. I just—"
BEAUMONT: "Let me finish. That's not how we do things, we have a hierarchy. We have respect and you broke that today."
KLAUS: "I'm sorry—"
BEAUMONT: "So, as a small reminder, you'll be doing extra laps after training tomorrow. Ten of them."
Klaus nods, jaw tight.
BEAUMONT: "That said..."
Beaumont's face softens just slightly.
BEAUMONT: "It was a hell of a free kick."
Klaus looks up, surprised.
BEAUMONT: "First goal for the club. Well done."
He extends his hand. Klaus shakes it, relief flooding through him.
BEAUMONT: "But next time? Ask first."
KLAUS: "Yes, coach."
Beaumont nods and walks back into the locker room.
Vellani is waiting.
VELLANI: "Is that all? Ten laps?"
BEAUMONT: "Marco, he scored, that's what matters."
VELLANI: "So we're just letting him—"
BEAUMONT: "At least now we know he can take free kicks too."
Beaumont walks past him, leaving Vellani standing there, fuming.
Jason catches Klaus's eye and grins.
Klaus sits back down, trying to hide his smile.
Ten laps. Worth it.
Léon FC. The same week. Different story.
Lucas sits in the stands for the first two matches.
Not injured. Not suspended.
Just... not selected.
He watches the team play without him. Watches them win without him.
Maybe they moved on.
After the second match, Coach Dubois pulls him aside.
DUBOIS: "Lucas. You're on the bench for the next match."
Lucas's heart jumps.
LUCAS: "Really?"
DUBOIS: "Yes. But listen you've been out for months. Take it slow. Don't rush. Just be smart."
LUCAS: "I will, coach. I promise."
But inside, Lucas is terrified.
What if I'm not the same? What if I fall again?
Matchday 3. Léon vs. Marseille Reserves. Away match.
Score: 0-0. 70th minute.
Lucas is on the bench, leg bouncing nervously.Coach Dubois turns.
DUBOIS: "Lucas. You're on. Left wing. Keep it light. Be smart."
Lucas nods, strips off his bib, and jogs to the touchline.
The crowd applauds polite, curious.
Let's see if this kid still has it.
72nd minute:
Lucas's first touch.
The ball comes to him just inside the attacking third. A defender closes in immediately.
Lucas's ankle twinges phantom pain, not real.
Don't hesitate. Don't think.
He passes it back. Safe. Smart. Controlled.
COMMENTATOR: "Lucas Santos, back on the pitch after months out. Playing cautiously, understandably."
75th minute:
Lucas gets the ball again. This time, deeper. More space.
He dribbles forward slow, controlled, testing his ankle.
A defender steps up. Lucas passes it wide.
Safe again.
On the sideline, Adrien Moreau the 33-year-old veteran midfielder is warming up for a substitution. He jogs past Lucas.
ADRIEN: "You're playing scared."
LUCAS: "I'm being careful."
ADRIEN: "Same thing."
Lucas clenches his jaw.
He's right.
78th minute:
The ball comes to Lucas again.
This time, he doesn't think.
He just runs.
A feint left. Sharp touch right. The defender is gone.
The crowd rises.
Lucas drives forward, cutting inside. Another defender closes in.
Lucas doesn't stop. He shifts the ball onto his left foot
And whips a trivela cross into the box.
Perfect.
MALIK KEITA is there. Header. Goal.
1-0.
The stadium explodes.
Lucas doesn't celebrate wildly. He just stands there, breathing hard, hands on his knees.
His legs burn. His ankle throbs.
But they held.
Malik runs over, grabbing Lucas's face.
MALIK: "WHAT A PASS!"
Lucas grins, chest heaving.
I'm back.
FULL TIME: Marseille 0 - Léon 1.
Lucas walks off the pitch, exhausted but smiling.
Rico is waiting for him in the tunnel.
RICO: "How's the ankle?"
LUCAS: "Hurts. But it held."
RICO: "Good. That's all that matters."
Lucas looks up at his father, emotion flickering across his face.
LUCAS: "I was scared, Dad. The whole time."
RICO: "I know. But you did it anyway. That's courage."
Lucas nods, wiping his face with his shirt.
RICO: "Come on. "
They walk out together.
Split screen. Both brothers, alone in their apartments.
KLAUS:
Klaus is lying in bed, scrolling through his phone.
The Queenspark post about his goal has 50,000 likes.
Comments:
"Welcome to Queenspark, Klaus! What a strike!"
"Vellani's gonna hate you now lol"
"Kid's got guts. Taking a free kick on his debut? Legend."
Klaus locks his phone.
Then opens Instagram. Scrolls.
He sees a post from Léon FC:
"Lucas Santos returns! Assist in his comeback match. Welcome back, Lucas! 💙"
Klaus watches the assist three times.
Good for him.
He types: "Nice assist."
Deletes it.
Types: "Congrats on the return."
Deletes it.
He locks his phone and stares at the ceiling.
He's back. I'm scoring.
Let's see who goes higher.
LUCAS:
Lucas is sitting on his balcony, ankle wrapped in ice, staring at his phone.
The Queenspark post pops up on his feed.
"GOAL! Klaus Santos scores his first for Queenspark with a stunning free kick! 🔵⚪"
Lucas watches it. Once. Twice. Three times.
The curl. The precision. The confidence.
Of course he scored. Of course.
Lucas types: "Great goal."
Deletes it.
Types: "Congrats."
Deletes it.
He locks his phone and looks out at the city.
He's at a top club. Scoring. Proving himself.
And I'm still climbing back.
He closes his eyes.
But I will. I'll catch up.
And then I'll pass him.
The next morning.
Klaus wakes up to a text.
Emma: "Saw your goal! Dad showed me! SO COOL! 🔥⚽"
Klaus smiles.
Klaus: "Thanks, pequena. How's school?"
Emma: "Boring. But I'm so proud of you!"
Klaus: "Thanks. Miss you."
Emma: "Miss you too. Lucas played well too, you know."
Klaus pauses.
Klaus: "I know. I saw."
Emma: "You should text him."
Klaus: "Maybe."
Emma: "KLAUS."
Klaus: "Alright, alright. I'll think about it."
Emma: "Good. Love you."
Klaus: "Love you too."
Klaus locks his phone.
Opens Lucas's contact.
Types: "Saw your assist. Good to see you back."
Hovers over send.
Then deletes it.
Not yet.
END OF CHAPTER 11