God Of football

Chapter 914: Put On A Show.

Izan jogged lightly onto the grass, giving a glance around the stadium.

The moment Izan stepped onto the pitch, the Yokohama boys scattered across the warm-up zones turned toward him without even meaning to.

It wasn’t dramatic, just a small shift of attention that moved through the group like someone had brushed a hand across still water.

A couple of the younger players straightened up a little while some of the older ones exchanged a look, half impressed and half amused.

One of the midfielders let out a quiet whistle.

”Man... which god does he pray to?” he muttered.

”He’s got everything. Looks like a movie star, plays like he’s been doing this for twenty years, loaded, seventeen. What’s left?”

A few of the boys burst into laughter, not at Izan but at the way it was said.

Even the veterans cracked a smile.

Another player elbowed him lightly.

”Don’t say it like he’s a myth. He’s literally right there.”

”He can’t hear me from here,” the first one shot back, but he still lowered his voice out of instinct.

One of the defenders glanced over again, and Izan was jogging into his rhythm now, loosening his shoulders, scanning the pitch with that same calm look he always carried.

”He’s definitely looking this way,” the defender whispered.

That was enough for someone to jab Shuu in the ribs.

”I thought you played with him once.”

Shuu kept his eyes ahead, but he nodded.

”In a scrimmage,” he said.

”And not exactly together. More like... he carried us in that game, at least, from how I remember it. I don’t even know if he’d remember me.”

”You’re acting like he’s a sitting president,” another teased.

”Relax.”

Shuu shook his head lightly.

”I’m not nervous. I just don’t want to look stupid if he walks past and has no clue who I am.”

”Yeah... about that,” the midfielder cut in, stepping back a little. ”He’s coming over.”

”What?”

All of them turned as one.

Izan had changed his path and was actually walking toward them, a small, easy smile on his face, with Saka and Nwaneri behind him, talking quietly while matching his pace.

Shuu froze for half a second.

He hadn’t realised how tall Izan had gotten since that youth scrimmage two years ago.

He hadn’t realised how composed he looked now either.

There was nothing heavy about the way he carried himself, but there was an authority there, the kind that didn’t need to be announced.

The group of Yokohama players, mostly the youngsters, straightened instinctively as Izan drew closer.

A couple of them tried their best to look casual, but their eyes kept flicking between him and Shuu.

Izan stopped right in front of Shuu, close enough that the rest of the Yokohama boys quietly eased back to give them room.

Shuu straightened a little without meaning to.

He had prepared himself for a simple nod or a quick greeting, not for Izan to single him out this directly.

Izan spoke first, his tone light.

”In Japanese: You wouldn’t have come over if I didn’t, right?”

Shuu’s surprise broke into a smile before he could hide it.

He reached out and took Izan’s hand, a firm shake that carried a bit more warmth than he expected.

”I wasn’t sure you’d even remember me. After all, I’d say I am an acquaintance at best.”

Izan shook his head, a little smile playing at his lips.

”You think that little of me?”

Shuu let out a small laugh.

The nerves he’d been holding onto since he saw Izan walking their way slipped off his shoulders.

”Alright. Fair.”

Izan turned his attention slightly, taking in the circle of players around Shuu.

”Are the other guys doing alright?”

Shuu raised a brow.

”Other guys?”

”Shinji,” Izan said.

A wave of realisation moved through the group.

”Ohhh,” they said almost in unison.

One of the players answered without thinking about it.

”Shinji left. He’s in Serie A now. Fiorentina. Loan with an option to buy. They want to see if he’s worth the clause before deciding.”

Shuu added, ”He’s done well since he got there. Wouldn’t surprise me if he stays.”

Izan nodded, taking that in with a small, thoughtful look.

”Good for him.”

His eyes shifted back to Shuu.

”What about you? Any plans to leave?”

Before Shuu could answer, one of the veterans stepped in with a grin.

”Hey, don’t start poaching our guy right in front of us.”

Izan laughed.

”Not appropriate?” he asked, and the group chuckled with him. ”Alright, fair point.”

He looked back at Shuu, his tone settling into something more genuine.

”We should talk more after the game.”

Shuu nodded once.

”Sure.”

Izan gave a short nod to the rest of the Yokohama players, acknowledging the group, and then he turned toward Saka and Nwaneri, who had been waiting a few steps behind him, and headed back with them toward the Arsenal warm-up area.

A couple of the Yokohama players let out a low whistle once Izan walked off.

”How does a seventeen-year-old carry that kind of aura?” one of them muttered.

”It’s ridiculous,” another said. ”Feels like you shouldn’t even mention certain things around him.”

They all laughed, not at Izan but at themselves, shaking off the strange mix of admiration and nerves he left in the air.

Most of them eventually drifted back into light stretches, though Shuu stayed still for a moment, eyes following Izan as he rejoined the Arsenal group.

Warmups eventually wound down as the staff called both sides over, and the energy shifted back to game mode.

The Arsenal players started toward the tunnel in a loose line, boots tapping against the turf.

Izan glanced back once, just a quick look over his shoulder.

When he saw Shuu watching, he nodded and gave a small smile before turning away and heading inside with the rest of his team.

Up in the stands, the Yokohama fans who had been watching from above had plenty to say.

”Do Shuu and that kid know each other?” someone asked.

”They might. Didn’t they play each other a few years ago? When that boy was at Valencia?”

”I think so.”

A couple of fans exchanged looks, not quite sure but intrigued enough to keep talking.

”Well, I hope we at least get a goal today,” one of them said.

”Yeah. Arsenal look sharp, though.”

”Their number ten... isn’t going to make it all rainbows and sunshine for us. This could and will get tough.”

Away from the stands and inside the Arsenal locker room, the players were nearly done.

They had already changed into their kits, boots tied, shin pads adjusted, tape fixed where it needed to be.

A bit of chatter drifted around the room, mostly light, just as Arteta clapped once, firm enough to pull every head in his direction.

”Same thing I said earlier,” he told them. ”Enjoy it. Play smart. And give the people here a good show. That’s all.”

There wasn’t much else to add afterwards as the players nodded.

A few exchanged glances of agreement as everyone knew their part in it.

They filed out toward the tunnel in twos and threes, boots knocking against the floor as the noise from outside filtered through the walls.

The Yokohama players were already lined up when Arsenal stepped in.

For the home side, this was familiar territory, but having star names from a global team standing right next to them still felt surreal.

Some didn’t hide their curiosity, others tried to keep straight faces, but there was a shared buzz between both groups.

Izan entered last from the right.

He walked in while tying his hair back, fingers working quickly and neatly.

A few heads turned in unison, eyes dragging toward him before some of the Yokohama players caught themselves and looked away.

Izan paused for half a second, brow tightening as if he wasn’t sure why the attention hit that fast.

He finished tying his hair and moved to the back of the line behind his teammates.

A moment later, one of the match officials appeared at the front of the tunnel.

”Alright, let’s go.”

His voice carried just enough authority to move everyone at once.

Arsenal and Yokohama straightened up, fixing shirts and then settling into their walking order as they followed him toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

The moment they stepped out, the noise hit them all together.

A wave of sound rolled across the stadium, loud enough to vibrate through the ground and into their chests.

Flags moved.

Cameras flashed, and the whole scene opened up in front of them under the bright stadium lights.

”Well, we don’t see games like this often, but things are possible in pre-season and today, we are here in Japan at the Nissan Stadium,” one of the commentators said over the broadcast as the volume of the crowd in the stadium overshadowed it a bit.

”The crowd is expecting a good time from this fixture with all the big names, and so are we. It’s Arsenal against Yokohama F Marinos!”