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Harbinger Of Glory

Chapter 32: First training Session [2] · Oct 18, 2026

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Chapter List (629)

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1 Chapter 1: Once Upon A Team 2026-10-18
2 Chapter 2: The Shift 2026-10-18
3 Chapter 3: An Olive Branch 2026-10-18
4 Chapter 4: Relations 2026-10-18
5 Chapter 5: The Offer 2026-10-18
6 Chapter 6: Resolution 2026-10-18
7 Chapter 7: A New Day 2026-10-18
8 Chapter 8: An Unimportant File 2026-10-18
9 Chapter 9: New Goal 2026-10-18
10 Chapter 10: School- A Means To An End 2026-10-18
11 Chapter 11: Learning The Art 2026-10-18
12 Chapter 12: Extra Work 2026-10-18
13 Chapter 13: Behind The Scenes 2026-10-18
14 Chapter 14: New Dawn 2026-10-18
15 Chapter 15: Wigan’s U21s 2026-10-18
16 Chapter 16: Testing The Waters 2026-10-18
17 Chapter 17: Unfolding 2026-10-18
18 Chapter 18: Sign The Kid 2026-10-18
19 Chapter 19: One Step At A Time 2026-10-18
20 Chapter 20: Player To Be 2026-10-18
21 Chapter 21: Honing 2026-10-18
22 Chapter 22: Possibilities 2026-10-18
23 Chapter 23: The Ball Whisperer 2026-10-18
24 Chapter 24: How It’s going 2026-10-18
25 Chapter 25: The Talk 2026-10-18
26 Chapter 26: Tell Me Everything 2026-10-18
27 Chapter 27: Meet The Calderons 2026-10-18
28 Chapter 28: Contract Negotiations 2026-10-18
29 Chapter 29: Welcome to Wigan, Leo 2026-10-18
30 Chapter 30: Interest from an Old Flame 2026-10-18
31 Chapter 31: First training session 2026-10-18
32 Chapter 32: First training Session [2] 2026-10-18
33 Chapter 33: All eyes on him 2026-10-18
34 Chapter 34: First shirt 2026-10-18
35 Chapter 35: First Game 2026-10-18
36 Chapter 36: Vanishing Act 2026-10-18
37 Chapter 37: A story writes itself 2026-10-18
38 Chapter 38: Paper Boy 2026-10-18
39 Chapter 39 - 3-body Problem 2026-10-18
40 Chapter 40: Method- Acting 2026-10-18
41 Chapter 41: Uncanny Hero 2026-10-18
42 Chapter 42: On the Cusp 2026-10-18
43 Chapter 43: On the Cusp [2] 2026-10-18
44 Chapter 44: Top for A reason 2026-10-18
45 Chapter 45: Dumb It Down 2026-10-18
46 Chapter 46: Price For Genius 2026-10-18
47 Chapter 47: First Team Calling. 2026-10-18
48 Chapter 48: First Team Calling [2] 2026-10-18
49 Chapter 49: Slowly But Surely 2026-10-18
50 Chapter 50: Number 22 2026-10-18

A couple of U21 players jogged onto the field, still half-heartedly stretching and talking amongst themselves.

”Look at this,” one of them, a midfielder named Jake, joked, glancing at Leo.

”Our boy here, thinking he’s Ronaldo, already out here doing extra training before the rest of us even wake up.”

The player said it quietly but in a quiet morning like that, Leo could here even if he didn’t want to.

But he paid them no mind.

Instead, he lined up another shot, his foot sending the ball into the bottom corner with ease.

The sound of it slapping the net made Jake, a Wigan local scoff, but it didn’t deter Leo’s focus.

He just kept on, until then the grounds became much more lively

”Bet he’s got a secret diet or something,” another player, Ben, chimed in as he jogged past, not even looking in Leo’s direction.

”All this extra training and we’re still stuck in bed.” He slapped his hands together, giving a mock salute.

”Keep it up, mate. You’ll be in the first team in no time, eh?”

The conversation continued among the others, some laughing, others shaking their heads.

A few of the players ignored him entirely, accustomed to Leo’s lone training sessions.

They had seen him work before—before he became one of them.

Determined, quiet, focused.

Some respected it; others just shrugged it off as one of his quirks.

As the U21 squad began to gather, the noise of light-hearted banter picked up.

Players stretched, jogged in place, and casually tossed the ball around.

A few kicked it aimlessly back and forth, warming up without much urgency.

Coach Thompson, Nolan’s assistant when the former was the youth Coach arrived shortly after, clipboard in hand, his usual crispness in his stride.

He paused for a moment to assess the field, before blowing his whistle sharply.

”Alright,” he said, his tone shifting from casual to crisp.

”Before we get started today, I’ve got someone to properly introduce—though to be honest, most of you don’t need the introduction.”

The group quieted. A few turned their heads toward Leo, who stood just off to the side, wiping sweat from his brow.

Coach Thompson pointed his pen in Leo’s direction.

”This is Leo. As of this morning, he’s officially one of you—signed and registered.”

There were a few mutters in the group. Not surprise, but something else—acknowledgment, or maybe quiet annoyance.

Leo looked at the players in front of him, Ezra giving him a thumbs-up that prompted Leo to smile.

”Now, I don’t expect any of you to act like strangers,” Thompson continued.

”The lad had been training with you for a month. And in case you’ve forgotten, he bested most of you in the scrimmages during that stretch—and I mean most.”

A collective groan rippled through the circle. One or two heads dropped.

A few players chuckled under their breath. Jake let out an exaggerated sigh and glanced at Ben.

”Oh, come on,” Jake muttered just loud enough for the group to hear, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

”Didn’t realize we were signing Messi.”

Ben snorted.

”Next thing you know he’s taking all our spots.”

A couple of the other lads nearby—ones who usually orbited around Jake and Ben—grinned and exchanged quick looks, but no one dared to say much more.

The atmosphere hung on the edge, tense with the kind of ego-wounded energy that could turn fast.

Coach Thompson didn’t miss a beat.

”Jake. Ben.” His voice sliced through the morning like a blade.

Both players stiffened.

”You two—and your little peanut gallery—grab cones from the shed and set up the midfield grid. Now. And make it sharp.”

”What? Coach—” Jake started, but Thompson cut him off with a look.

”You want to act like you’re above the standards here? Then you can do the prep work while the rest of the team gets going. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to sit the session out entirely?”

”No, Coach,” Ben mumbled, already turning toward the storage shed.

Jake kicked at the grass, muttering something under his breath before following.

A few of the others exchanged glances—some amused, some wary—but no one argued. Thompson wasn’t the kind to bluff.

He turned back to the rest of the squad. ”Anyone else got something smart to say?”

Silence.

”Good. Then let’s get back to doing what we’re here for—training like a team.”

Coach Thompson clapped his hands twice, firm and sharp.

”Right, listen up. One-touch game, with tight spaces, and sharp movement. Four teams, rotating through. Two-minute rounds, winner stays on.”

The players split up quickly, some with lazy grins, others stretching out their legs and bouncing on their toes.

The teasing had faded into the background now—this was familiar territory. Competition had a way of leveling egos.

Thompson didn’t say it outright, but everyone saw where he pointed first.

”Leo, you’re in. Blue bib.”

Leo tugged the bib over his head and stepped into the grid.

His first touch came almost immediately—a quick trap-and-pop pass that threaded cleanly between two defenders to a teammate streaking up the side. One-touch.

Just as instructed.

The tempo ramped up fast. Voices barked. Feet clattered. Leo adjusted quickly, his movements clean, and efficient.

He wasn’t trying to dazzle—just make the right decisions, quickly. That was the game.

Thompson watched from the sideline, arms crossed, eyes narrowed—not just at the team as a whole, but specifically at Leo.

Tracking his movement. Measuring every pass, every adjustment.

The ball zipped toward Leo again—awkward height, low bounce.

He flicked it across with the outside of his boot, splitting two defenders.

The recipient missed the pass entirely, but Thompson saw what mattered.

”Right idea,” he muttered under his breath.

”Right idea.” he said again but this time, more slowly as he thought about what Dawson had told him.

........

[The Day Before]

”I would have liked to promote him right now if I could,” Dawson said as he stood in front of a glass screen overlooking the First team training ground.

Nolan, sitting behind him just scoffed but didn’t say anything.

Before any of the two could speak, the door opened to reveal Thompson standing behind.

”Ahhh, Thompson. Come in” Dawson said, gesturing towards the seat at his desk.

A/n: hello guys. To compensate for the late release, have an extra Chapter for this novel.

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