Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23 — The First Club That Wanted Him
The problem with rising too fast—
was that people started wanting pieces of you.
Your talent.
Your image.
Your future.
And sometimes—
even your soul.
Sean Nelson understood that more clearly now.
Because after the evaluation match—
everything around him changed again.
Faster than before.
The next morning—
he walked into the training facility and immediately noticed the atmosphere.
Whispers.
Glances.
Phones out.
Even some younger academy players were staring openly now.
Ding.
[PUBLIC RECOGNITION GROWTH DETECTED]
Internal Academy Reputation:
HIGH
European Prospect Visibility:
RISING
Sean frowned slightly.
"This fast?"
Matteo walked beside him while shaking his head.
"You’re trending internally."
Sean blinked.
"...Internally?"
"Scout forums."
Pause.
"Recruitment circles."
Another pause.
"And apparently one assistant coach uploaded clips from yesterday."
Sean exhaled quietly.
So this was how it started.
Not headlines.
Not interviews.
Clips.
Whispers.
Private discussions.
Football moved quietly before it moved loudly.
Inside the locker room—
conversation stopped briefly after he entered.
Then resumed awkwardly.
Sean noticed immediately.
The energy had changed.
Again.
One player finally looked toward him directly.
"That goal yesterday was insane."
Another nodded instantly.
"Especially on that pitch."
Sean shrugged lightly.
"It just worked."
Matteo snorted.
"No."
Pause.
"You’re becoming annoying now."
That made the room laugh slightly.
And surprisingly—
the tension eased.
But Sean still understood something important.
The higher he climbed—
the more isolated he could become.
Because football loved success.
But football also envied it.
Training started shortly afterward.
And today—
Coach Velez said almost nothing.
Which somehow felt more dangerous than shouting.
The drills were brutal again.
Fast transitions.
Tight-space control.
Mental overload sequences.
But Sean noticed something different about himself now.
The game was slowing down mentally.
Not fully.
But enough.
⚽ Pre-Scan Awareness
Synchronization:
81%
Before receiving possession—
his head moved automatically now.
Scanning angles.
Tracking movement.
Reading pressure.
It was becoming instinct.
Sean received the ball under heavy pressure during rotation drills.
Two defenders closed inward.
Instead of panicking—
he scanned once.
Pivoted.
Quick release.
Escape.
"Better," Velez said instantly.
One word.
But from him—
that sounded almost emotional.
The session intensified further.
And suddenly—
Sean realized Lucas Verhaegen was studying him again.
Not casually.
Carefully.
After the drill ended—
Lucas approached quietly.
"You changed fast."
Sean grabbed his water bottle.
"I’m trying to survive."
Lucas shook his head slightly.
"That stopped being true already."
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Lucas asked something unexpected.
"Do you know which clubs are watching?"
Sean frowned slightly.
"No."
Lucas stared at him for a second longer.
Then replied:
"You should find out."
Ding.
[TRANSFER INTEREST AWARENESS EVENT]
Professional Pathway Acceleration:
ACTIVE
Sean watched Lucas walk away slowly.
And suddenly—
his heartbeat felt heavier.
Because hearing it from coaches was one thing.
Hearing it from another elite player?
That made it real.
The tactical scrimmage began shortly afterward.
And today—
Sean played with growing confidence.
Dangerous confidence.
He controlled tempo more naturally now.
Not forcing influence.
Creating it.
Manipulating pressure.
Dragging defenders.
Opening space.
Even without touching the ball constantly—
he affected the game.
Ding.
⚽ Pressure Aura
Passive Effect:
ACTIVE
Opponent Hesitation Rate:
+6%
Sean almost laughed internally.
"This system is ridiculous..."
Then—
the defining moment of training arrived.
Sean intercepted possession before driving into transition space aggressively.
Three defenders rotated instantly.
Too fast.
Too organized.
European structure.
But Sean scanned early.
Saw the weak-side movement.
Tiny opening.
Quick body feint.
One defender froze.
Acceleration burst.
Gone.
Gasps spread lightly around the field.
Sean surged toward the edge of the final third before slipping a perfectly weighted pass into space.
Goal.
Again.
The sideline reacted immediately.
One scout whispered:
"He creates fear before touching the ball now."
Another nodded slowly.
"That’s rare at his age."
Sean heard none of it.
Because suddenly—
Coach Velez blew the whistle sharply.
Training over.
Unusually early.
Players looked confused.
Even Lucas frowned slightly.
But then—
Victor De Smet appeared near the sideline again.
Alongside two unfamiliar men.
Professional suits.
Expensive watches.
Football executive energy.
Ding.
[HIGH-LEVEL FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVES DETECTED]
Potential Career Impact:
VERY HIGH
Sean’s pulse slowed slightly.
This felt important.
Very important.
"Sean Nelson," Victor called calmly.
"Come with us."
The walk toward the administration building felt strangely long.
Sean stayed calm outwardly.
But internally—
his thoughts moved rapidly.
Clubs?
Agents?
Sponsors?
Something bigger?
Inside a sleek conference room— freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
the two men stood immediately.
One extended his hand first.
"Marc Delcourt."
French accent.
Confident smile.
The second man nodded politely.
"Henrik Vos."
Much colder energy.
Scandinavian maybe.
Sharp eyes.
Sean shook both hands carefully.
"Nice to meet you."
Victor remained standing near the window while Marc spoke first.
"We’ve been reviewing your development."
Sean nodded quietly.
No emotion.
Listening carefully.
Marc smiled faintly.
"You’ve become interesting faster than expected."
That phrase again. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Interesting.
Football people loved using words that sounded harmless while meaning something massive.
Henrik opened a slim tablet calmly.
"Your adaptation speed is uncommon."
Pause.
"Your psychological resilience is above projection."
Another pause.
"And your market profile..."
He looked up briefly.
"...is rising unusually fast."
Ding.
[COMMERCIAL VALUE UPDATE]
💰 Athlete Marketability:
HIGH-POTENTIAL
Sean resisted the urge to sigh.
The system loved dramatic timing too much.
Marc leaned back slightly.
"We represent scouting partnerships connected to several European clubs."
Silence.
Then—
"We are not making formal offers today."
Sean’s chest relaxed slightly.
Good.
Because he wasn’t ready mentally for that conversation yet.
"But," Marc continued smoothly, "one club specifically requested additional evaluation access."
Ding.
⚽ FIRST CLUB INTEREST DETECTED
Professional Monitoring Status:
ACTIVE
Sean’s heartbeat thundered once.
Hard.
He stayed calm outwardly.
"Which club?"
Marc smiled faintly.
"We can’t disclose that yet."
Of course.
Football loved mystery.
Henrik spoke next.
"But we can say this."
Pause.
"The club believes your ceiling may be significantly higher than originally projected."
Silence filled the room briefly.
And suddenly—
Sean understood something terrifying.
This was no longer academy curiosity.
A real club had started calculating his future value.
Victor finally spoke quietly from the window.
"Congratulations."
Sean looked toward him.
Victor’s expression stayed calm.
But respectful.
More respectful than before.
Marc folded his hands.
"The next three months will matter heavily."
Pause.
"How you respond to growing pressure..."
Another pause.
"...will determine whether this interest evolves into opportunity."
Sean nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Henrik studied him carefully.
Then asked directly:
"What do you want from football, Sean?"
Again with that question.
Adults with power loved asking it.
Sean thought carefully this time.
Then answered honestly.
"I want to become impossible to ignore."
Silence.
Marc smiled slowly afterward.
"That..."
Pause.
"...is the right kind of ambition."
After the meeting ended—
Sean stepped outside the facility alone.
Cold air struck his face immediately.
But he barely noticed.
Because mentally—
everything had changed again.
A real club.
Not fantasy.
Not dreams.
Not internet imagination.
An actual European club was tracking him now.
Watching him.
Calculating him.
Ding.
[MAJOR CAREER MILESTONE ACHIEVED]
⚽ First Official Club Monitoring Registered
Future Pathway Probability:
INCREASING
Estimated Market Value:
€2.1 Million
Sean stared at the glowing interface silently.
Then laughed softly under his breath.
Because deep down—
the Nigerian boy inside him still couldn’t fully believe this was real.
His phone vibrated suddenly.
Message from Isabella.
"Dad heard about the meeting."
Sean blinked slightly.
That fast?
He replied immediately.
"Football people gossip too much."
Three dots appeared instantly.
Then—
"You have no idea what level you’re entering."
Sean stared at the message longer this time.
Because suddenly—
he could feel it clearly.
The world around him was becoming bigger.
Richer.
More dangerous.
And somewhere ahead—
the doors to elite football were beginning to open.
Slowly.
But unmistakably.
