Harbinger Of Glory

”Skechers,” Noah continued, leaning back slightly, ”gets undersold a lot. People hear the name, and they think of what they know, which is the lifestyle stuff, the walking shoes, whatever. But as a footwear brand overall?”

He shook his head.

”It is undoubtedly in the top four footwear brands the world has. Maybe the top three, depending on how you measure it.”

”Behind Nike and Adidas,” Jake said.

”Yes. Personally, I put them third and leave those two to battle out for the top.”

He pointed at Jake.

”But that’s now. Football changes everything for a brand. The moment you’re on a pitch at the highest level, the conversation changes completely.”

”Of course, Nike and Adidas take most of the cake, but other brands are currently on the rise, and that trend is part of Skechers wanting to stake a claim to the cake.”

”Neymar left Nike to join Puma. Jack Grealish is with Puma. Same with other players, like Griezmann and Saka, with Saka joining New Balance.”

”Even Rudiger is with Under Armour. There is a shift and Skechers now this, which is why they’re not coming in quietly.”

Noah wrapped both hands around his cup.

”They’ve got time on their side as a brand, and they know it. But more relevantly,” he looked at the three of them, ”so do you lot.”

The table absorbed that.

”Plus,” Noah continued, ”do you remember what I said a minute ago about them wanting names to come with them?”

The three of them nodded, following which Noah nodded too.

”Harry Kane.”

Jake’s head came forward. ”Sorry?”

”He’s joining Bayern Munich for 100 million Euros, give or take, in a deal which is almost done.”

Noah let it land properly before continuing.

”And Skechers are going to be on his boots when he gets there.”

The table went quiet after that, mainly out of the three boys in front of Noah, suddenly turning reflective.

Ezra was the first to speak.

”Hold on,” he said, leaning forward slightly.

”You’ve been talking to us, all three of us, about this deal. So does that mean if we agree, Skechers take all three of us on?”

Jake and Leo both turned to look at Noah, wondering what their agent had to say since Ezra’s question was very valid.

”Yes, that’s how it’s come to be now.”

”What do you mean?” Jake went further.

”They didn’t come for all three of you, no,” Noah replied.

”They came for Leo. About six weeks ago. Reached out wanting to bank on the potential they had seen before the rest of the market caught up with what he was.”

”It was right at Leo’s return from injury when he started playing like he wanted to stake a claim to the Ballon d’Or!”

He looked at Leo briefly, then back at the group.

”I started dealing with them from there. And then about halfway through the conversations, I decided to try something I used to do when things were going well for me. A long time ago now.”

”Which was?” Ezra said.

”Use what you have. I asked them about their long-term goal in football, and they were honest about it. A big entry with Harry Kane, then build around the next generation. Establish the brand through the ones who are going to define the next ten years.” Noah looked around the table.

”So I offered them you two as well.”

Jake opened his mouth, realising the point coming across.

”I sent them the tapes,” Noah continued.

”It showed your impact on the Wigan season,” Noah said while nodding towards Ezra before turning towards Jake.

”And yours showed the numbers you were putting up as well as the goal you scored on your debut and only appearance for the senior team.”

”They watched everything and came back inside three days, telling me they wanted all three of you afterwards.”

Leo nodded slowly, just like the other two, who were ingraining every detail in their mind.

”One-year deal,” Noah suddenly said, causing them to snap their heads back at him.

”Both sides wanted to keep the risk manageable. It’s a first deal, it’s a foundation, and if it goes the way I think it goes, then the conversation in twelve months looks very different.”

After that, he reached down beside his chair and came back up with a folder, setting it on the table in front of him.

”Of course,” he said, looking at each of them in turn, ”there’s always the option to refuse.”

All three of them sat up almost simultaneously as Noah left a folder in front of each of them.

”I wanted to do these separately,” he said. ”Individually, one at a time. But then I found out you three were already together, so.” He spread his hands. ”Here we are.”

He turned to Jake first.

Jake was already reading, or trying to, his eyes moving down the page with the focus of someone who understood some of what was going on in the paper, and then at the same time, didn’t get a lot.

”You’re the most unproven of the three,” Noah said, straightforwardly.

”That’s not an opinion, it’s just where you are right now. The numbers at the U21 and U23 levels are brilliant, but they’re still youth numbers. Skechers know that. So their opening was thirty thousand for the year.”

Jake looked up from the contract.

Then he whistled, low and quiet.

”Still good money,” he said, mostly to himself.

”It is,” Noah agreed. ”But.”

Jake looked at him.

”I got it to forty.”

Jake’s eyes went back to the page, finding the number.

”Base of forty,” Noah continued, ”with bonuses built in that take it to sixty if you hit them. And five Premier League goals next season triggers the first bonus, and after that, it’s two thousand pounds extra for every goal you score, and if you appear in sixty per cent of Wigan’s games, there’s a separate appearance bonus on top.”

Jake read it as Noah talked, and you could see the numbers landing one by one, his expression shifting from interested to something more alive as the full picture came together.

Then he smiled, slow and wry, shaking his head slightly.

”Damn,” he said. ”You’re really trusting me here.”

”That’s my job,” Noah said, shrugging like it was simple.

”And I think those numbers are well within your reach. But if you feel like the clauses add too much pressure, we can take them out and keep it at the base.”

Jake looked at him like he’d suggested something mildly offensive.

”No,” he said. ”Leave them in. I’ll hit them.”

Noah smiled at that and then turned to Ezra, who had been reading the whole time quietly, his finger moving along the lines of the contract with the patience of someone who actually wanted to understand what they were agreeing to.

”Base of sixty-five for you,” Noah said as Ezra looked up.

”Bonuses take it to ninety if you meet them,” Noah continued.

”And that is seven goal contributions across the season in the Premier League. Goals or assists, either count. And Skechers want you establishing yourself as Wigan’s primary right winger, which they’ve written in as a condition, but” he tilted his head slightly, ”given how Dawson was using you toward the end of the season, that shouldn’t be a difficult box to tick. He was using you a lot over Lang.”

Ezra read the relevant section, nodded slowly, presumably satisfied, as Noah then turned to the last of them, Leo!