The Manchester United scout, Mr. Sterling, walked up the steps towards the directors’ box of Elland Road with a notebook in his hands. He was dressed smartly in a grey suit and wearing a thick wool coat to stave off the typical English drizzle, even in August.
Despite being dressed well, the skepticism in his eyes and the slight frown ssed with his look. So rather than looking excited for the opening day of the Championship, he just seed bored.
He let out a sigh, seeing his breath turn into mist upon leaving his mouth. In the lead-up to the transfer window closing, his job was always crazy busy. Due to United’s desperate need for young talent, he had to travel to all parts of the country with the sole purpose of finding a gem.
Since it was the season opener, he was required to attend and watch the proceedings. However, Sterling only really cared about one player: Mateo.
The scouting departnt was responsible for recording the physical data of every midfielder in the league. Once this information was captured, the players would then be filtered for the January window.
Sterling headed over to a Leeds United official and stood beside him, looking out at the pitch. The players were currently going through warm-ups before the lineups were announced on the tannoy.
"Are there any surprises in the XI?" He asked casually.
"There’s a couple, Farke is rolling the dice today." The official said, handing him a team sheet with the confird nas.
Sterling looked down the list briefly before coming across the highlighted nas.
"Sumrville, Ampadu and... Rio Lance."
"Why does that na sound familiar?" Sterling murmured. However, seeing as the player was currently trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons, he quickly put a face to the na.
He had a look at the tactical setup and was rather impressed by the bravery.
"It’s not often you find a manager starting two teenagers in midfield and wing. How good is the Spaniard?"
The Leeds official grimaced a little, knowing the "Party Boy" rumors, however, he gave his honest opinion. "He has great feet, but the lad seems a little lightweight. It’s almost as if he doesn’t have enough muscle to survive Cardiff."
"Hmm. How about his ntality? I saw the papers." Sterling inquired. If he was a liability off the pitch, he could advise United to stay far away, regardless of his talent.
"We’re just about to start, did you want to see for yourself?"
Sterling nodded.
The stadium announcer gave the signal to the DJ, who then promptly blasted ’Marching On Together’, getting everyone’s attention.
Rio, who was busy warming up his left foot by pinging balls to Mateo, suddenly turned and headed over with the rest of the group. He believed that he had perford rather well in the shooting drills yesterday, but what he was really looking forward to was silencing the "Party King" chants coming from the Cardiff away end.
"Okay, listen up. Cardiff is going to sit deep. They will try to hurt you. Don’t hold onto the ball too long."
Manager Farke was a man who commanded respect. Despite the noise of thirty-five thousand people, he was currently only speaking in a low, intense rumble.
"If I call your na, get ready to run through a brick wall," Farke called out, holding a water bottle in his hands.
A few minutes later, everyone had lined up in the tunnel. Rio was standing behind Mateo.
When the teams were lining up, Rio had heard soone familiar who had beco a legend in the Premier League. Aaron Ramsey, the Cardiff captain and forr Arsenal star.
He was surprised to see that the person in question actually looked rather calm, lacking the arrogance of a superstar. Of course, he was in the twilight of his career right now, so he was still probably just enjoying the ga.
However, for his peace of mind, Rio used the Identify skill on him.
NA: Aaron Ramsey
AGE: 32
TALENT ASSESSNT: A
POTENTIAL: C (Past Peak)
USER STATS:
Physical Fitness: C-
Passing: A
Ga Intelligence: S
ntal: A
Rio felt a little better after viewing his stats. He had guessed that Ramsey would be the biggest threat in terms of vision, so to see that his Physical Fitness had dropped gave him greater confidence.
’He is slow. I can burn him,’ Rio thought.
Of course, the Cardiff defenders would have no way of seeing this information, so Rio needed to ensure that he would perform well during the duels.
"Okay, Leeds! Let’s go! 3 points!" Liam Cooper shouted, clapping his hands.
Rio gripped his fist tight; it was finally ti to showcase his S-grade agility and make an impression on the doubters.
After a few minutes, the team walked out onto the pitch. Rio was on the left wing, standing opposite a right-back nad Perry Ng. As they walked onto the grass, he wondered how the defender would be able to see the ball coming with Rio’s new "Elastic Limbs" skill ready to snap ankles.
"PEEEEEEP!"
The Referee shouted, blowing the whistle. Almost as soon as he had called out, the atmosphere in the stadium seed to thicken. Rio felt as if he was in a coliseum, the roar of the crowd vibrating in his chest.
He moved his gaze around the other players and could see how determined they were to win and secure a good start to the promotion push.
’This pressure...’
Although he was a little caught off-guard by the volu, he soon adjusted. He wouldn’t be intimidated by such an atmosphere, not when he needed to catch up to the legends in the chat. His aspirations were much higher than just the Championship.
The Premier League was rely a step on his path towards becoming a Ballon d’Or winner.
He would not falter.
[Chat Room Active]
Hand_Of_King: The grass looks good. The fans are loud. Rio, do not hide! Demand the ball!
Total_Football_14: Cardiff is playing a 4-4-2 block. It is rigid. You must be the water that flows through the cracks.
The_Phenonon_9: Ramsey is old. Run at him. Make his knees cry.
Rio_Lance: I’m on it. Watch this.
THUD
The sound of a body striking the turf rang out, drawing his attention. Sumrville, the winger on the other side, had managed to receive the first pass, intending to dribble past the left-back.
However, he was instantly flattened by a crunching tackle from the Cardiff defender, sending him rolling across the grass.
"Welco to the Championship, princess!" The defender roared, standing over him.
The referee waved play on.
Rio swallowed hard. The ga had begun, and it was a warzone.
"Fuck," Rio whispered. "They aren’t ssing around."
Mateo picked up the loose ball. He looked panicked. The giant Cardiff midfielders were closing in on him like sharks slling blood.
"Rio!" Mateo scread, desperate for an option.
Rio didn’t hesitate. He checked his shoulder. Perry Ng was tight on him, breathing down his neck.
’He thinks I’m weak. He thinks I’m the Party Boy.’
Rio dropped deep, dragging the defender with him.
"Here!" Rio shouted.
Mateo fizzed a pass into Rio’s feet. It was hit hard, bouncing slightly on the wet turf.
Perry Ng lunged. He ca flying in with a two-footed tackle, aiming to take the ball and the man.
"Gotcha!" Ng grunted.
But Rio didn’t trap it.
[Passive Skill: Sniper’s Instinct (Active)]
[Passive Skill: Elastic Limbs (Active)]
Rio’s body contorted unnaturally. He let the ball run through his legs, twisting his hips like a rubber band.
He spun.
Ng’s tackle hit nothing but air and a divot of grass.
"Olé!" The crowd roared.
Rio was away. He was facing the Cardiff goal. And for the first ti in his life, he felt faster than the wind.
But ahead of him, Aaron Ramsey stood waiting, his eyes calm, his positioning perfect. The old master vs the young apprentice.
"Co on then, lad," Ramsey seed to say with his posture.
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