6. Eyes on the Future

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As the sun began to set on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city, Francesco couldn't help but feel that his future was just as bright. And with a coach like Smith and the support of his family, he knew that nothing was out of reach.

After an hour of driving through the quiet streets, the Lee family finally pulled into the driveway of their modest, suburban home. The sky had shifted to a deep orange as the last traces of daylight began to fade, and Francesco stared out of the car window, his mind still replaying the day's events. The trial, the praise from Coach Smith, and the congratulatory words from parents had left him both proud and thoughtful. This was it—the start of something big.

As the car came to a stop, Mike turned off the engine and stretched, looking over at his wife, Sarah, and their son in the back seat. "Well, we made it. What a day, huh?" he said, grinning broadly.

Sarah smiled and looked back at Francesco. "You did amazingly today, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."

Francesco nodded, a small but genuine smile on his face. "Thanks, Mom."

Mike, ever the practical one, glanced at Sarah. "What do you say we order a pizza? A large one. Feels like we've earned a little celebration for our boy passing the trial."

Francesco's face lit up at the mention of pizza. "Sounds perfect, Dad. I'm starving after all that running."

"Large pizza it is," Mike said, pulling out his phone as they all got out of the car. "Let's go inside. I'll place the order now, and it should get here in about half an hour."

As they walked into the house, the familiar scent of home hit Francesco—a mixture of clean wood floors and the faint trace of his mom's perfume. It was comforting after the long day of trials and emotional highs.

"Francesco, you must be exhausted. Why don't you go take a shower before the pizza gets here?" Sarah suggested as they stepped into the foyer, noticing the dirt and sweat still clinging to her son from the match.

Francesco nodded quickly, a little self-conscious about the smell of his sweat. "Yeah, I really need one. I can barely stand myself right now," he joked, grinning as he started up the stairs toward his room.

"Don't take too long, or you'll miss the pizza," Mike called after him with a laugh.

"I won't!" Francesco shouted back, already halfway to the bathroom.

Up in his room, Francesco dropped his sports bag onto the floor with a soft thud. The adrenaline from the day had finally started to wear off, and his muscles ached in that satisfying way they always did after a hard-fought game. As much as he loved football, moments like this—where he could relax, reflect, and enjoy the quiet satisfaction of a job well done—were equally important to him.

Stripping off his sweat-soaked clothes, he made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The sound of the rushing water was calming, and as the steam filled the small room, Francesco stepped into the hot spray, letting the water wash away the dirt and exhaustion of the day. The heat relaxed his muscles, and for a moment, he closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing sensation. He knew that in just a week, training would begin, and it wouldn't be easy. But he felt ready for it, more ready than he had ever been for anything.

As he lathered the soap, his thoughts drifted back to Coach Smith's words. The most gifted player in a decade. It was high praise, but with it came the realization that people would now have expectations of him. He had always been motivated by his own desire to succeed, but this was different. Coach Smith believed in him. His parents believed in him. And now, he had to prove that their faith wasn't misplaced.

Francesco finished rinsing off and turned off the shower, stepping out and grabbing a towel. As he dried himself, he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His hair was damp, and his skin flushed from the hot water, but beneath that, he saw the determination in his eyes. This was just the beginning of his journey to becoming the best football player in the future.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Francesco stepped into his room and sat on the edge of his bed. The familiar comfort of his room, with its posters of football legends and the trophies he had won over the years, felt different now. Everything seemed like it was leading to something bigger. His mind raced with thoughts of what was to come—early mornings, intense training sessions, competing with older and more experienced players. But none of that scared him. In fact, it excited him.

Francesco leaned back against his pillow, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, his mind wandering to the possibilities. Would he make it to the top leagues? Would he be like the players he idolized, whose posters were now staring back at him from the walls? He envisioned himself in a stadium filled with thousands of fans, all eyes on him as he scored the winning goal in the final seconds of a match. It was a dream that had driven him for as long as he could remember, and now it felt like the first real steps toward that dream were within reach.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a knock came at the door, followed by his mother's voice. "Francesco! The pizza's here!"

His stomach growled in response, and Francesco quickly stood up, throwing on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before heading downstairs. The delicious smell of pizza hit him as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, where his parents were already setting the table.

Mike grinned as he opened the pizza boxes, revealing two large pizzas—one covered in pepperoni and the other with Francesco's favorite, barbecue chicken. "Here we go! Just what a future football star needs after a long day."

Francesco laughed, sitting down at the table. "Thanks, Dad. This looks amazing."

They all sat down together, the excitement from earlier still buzzing around them, though now it was more relaxed, more like a quiet celebration between family. The three of them dug into the pizza, the conversation light and filled with laughter as they recapped the day.

"You know," Sarah said after a few bites, "I still can't get over how composed you were out there, Francesco. I've never seen you so in control."

Mike nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you played like you were a step ahead of everyone else on that field. It was something special to watch."

Francesco, always modest, just shrugged as he chewed on his pizza. "I just tried to stay focused and do what I needed to do."

His parents exchanged a knowing glance, both of them clearly proud of him. The rest of the meal passed in comfortable conversation, the warmth of the family bond making the moment all the more special. They talked about the upcoming training sessions, about what Francesco would need in the coming weeks, and about how proud they were of him.

Once the last slice of pizza was finished and the boxes were cleared away, Francesco leaned back in his chair, feeling full and content. But as his parents continued to chat, his mind drifted once again to the future. In just a week, everything would change. He would be starting his journey toward becoming the football player he had always dreamed of being. It wouldn't be easy, but he was ready to give it everything he had.

The next day, sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow over Francesco's room. He blinked awake, still feeling the sense of satisfaction from yesterday's trial and the pizza celebration with his family. But as much as he had enjoyed the moment of triumph, today marked the start of something far more important—the hard work that would take him to the next level.

Francesco stretched and sat up in bed, his thoughts already on the training session he had planned for himself. He knew that while raw talent had carried him through many games so far, it was discipline and constant improvement that would set him apart from the rest.

He quickly changed into his training gear—a simple pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt—before heading downstairs. His mom was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

"Morning, champ," Sarah greeted him, smiling as she flipped a pancake. "Ready for another big day?"

Francesco grabbed a glass of water and nodded. "Yeah, I'm going to practice in the backyard after breakfast. Just some basics."

"Good to hear," she replied. "But don't push yourself too hard. You just have a trial yesterday."

"I won't," Francesco reassured her, though he knew deep down that pushing himself was exactly what he intended to do. He was determined to become the best, and that meant working harder than anyone else.

After a quick breakfast of pancakes and fruit, Francesco grabbed his football and headed outside. Their backyard was spacious enough for him to train his basic skills—dribbling, passing, and ball control. As he stepped onto the grass, he felt a rush of excitement. This was where the real work began.

Francesco knew the importance of mastering the fundamentals. Even though advanced techniques and flashy moves often stole the spotlight, it was the simple skills—those executed with precision and consistency—that could turn a good player into a great one. He recalled something his father had told him years ago: "It's not about doing ten fancy things once; it's about doing one simple thing perfectly every time."

With that in mind, he started his warm-up, jogging lightly around the yard with the ball at his feet, feeling its weight and balance as he guided it along the ground. His touches were light but controlled, always keeping the ball close, never letting it stray too far. After a few laps, he began working on his dribbling technique, weaving through an improvised set of cones he had set up earlier.

Dribble. Pivot. Change direction. His movements were sharp and purposeful, even though he was working on basic drills. He reminded himself that if he could perfect these movements, he would be able to use them instinctively in matches, making them harder for opponents to read and counter.

As he continued his routine, Francesco's mind wandered to the football legends he admired—players like Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi. They all had signature moves that defenders feared. Ronaldo had his pendulum dribble, a sharp flick of the ball that confused defenders with its sudden change in direction. Ronaldinho had his elastico, a quick outside-inside flick that left defenders flat-footed. And Messi, well, he didn't need flashy moves—his control of the ball and ability to maneuver through tight spaces were his trademarks.

Francesco paused for a moment, leaning on his knees as he caught his breath. 'What would my signature move be?' he wondered. He knew that moves like the elastico or the pendulum weren't created overnight. They were the result of hours, days, and even years of practice, trial, and error. But maybe he could start thinking about it now. Maybe he could begin crafting something that was uniquely his.

He dribbled the ball again, this time experimenting with different movements. He tried shifting his weight from one side to the other quickly, attempting to mimic the pendulum dribble, but he knew it wasn't quite right. He then tried flicking the ball with the outside of his foot before bringing it back inside, similar to the elastico, but again, it didn't feel natural yet.

Francesco smiled to himself. He wasn't discouraged by the difficulty; if anything, it made him more excited. He had time to develop his own style, his own move that would one day be as feared as those of his idols. He continued dribbling, this time focusing on his ball control, ensuring each touch was deliberate and close to his body.

He began thinking about what kind of player he wanted to be. He admired Ronaldo's athleticism and power, Messi's finesse and vision, and Ronaldinho's creativity and flair. But Francesco knew that if he wanted to be great, he had to combine these traits while staying true to his own strengths. He wasn't as physically imposing as Ronaldo, but he had speed, agility, and an excellent understanding of the game. His ability to read the field and anticipate his opponents' movements was what had set him apart so far.

'What if I could create a move that combined speed and unpredictability?' Francesco thought. 'Something that makes defenders hesitate, just for a split second?'

He tried another experiment, rolling the ball forward gently with the sole of his foot, then quickly stepping over it while flicking it sideways with the inside of his other foot. The movement was fast, and he liked how it felt—a quick, deceptive shift that could throw a defender off balance.

He tried it again, this time a bit faster, imagining a defender lunging at him. He rolled the ball, stepped over it, and flicked it to the side in one smooth motion. It wasn't perfect, but it felt promising.

After a few more tries, Francesco felt a rush of excitement. He had something to build on, something that could one day be his signature move. It wasn't as flashy as an elastico or a rainbow flick, but it was quick and deceptive, and that was exactly what he wanted.

He spent the next hour refining his basic skills, alternating between dribbling, passing against the wall, and practicing his new move. Every touch, every pass, every flick was done with purpose. He knew that this kind of repetition would make him not just good, but exceptional. He could picture it now: in the heat of a game, surrounded by defenders, he would execute his move—quick, clean, and unstoppable. It was a simple idea, but one that would catch defenders off guard.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Francesco finally paused, wiping sweat from his brow. He was tired, but it was the kind of tired that came from hard work—the kind that made him feel like he had truly accomplished something.

He picked up the ball and headed back toward the house, his thoughts still on the move he had been practicing. He knew it wasn't perfect yet, but he also knew that with enough time and dedication, it could be. It was all about building, little by little, day by day. Just like his journey to becoming the best football player—each step, no matter how small, brought him closer to his goal.

As he walked back inside, Sarah greeted him with a smile. "You've been out there for hours! You must be exhausted."

Francesco grinned, breathing heavily but satisfied. "A little tired, but it feels good. I think I'm onto something."

"Well, whatever you're onto, don't forget to rest," Sarah said, handing him a water bottle. "You've got plenty of time to perfect your skills."

Francesco took a long drink of water, his mind still buzzing with ideas for his next training session. "Yeah," he said, smiling to himself. "I've got time."

But deep down, Francesco knew that every day mattered. If he wanted to become the best, he had to make the most of every moment, starting now.

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Name : Francesco Lee

Age : 5 (2003)

Birthplace : London, England

Football Club : Arsenal U9 Team

Championship History : None