Carrington

The next week passed by very quickly for Jerry. The day after the match, he didn't bother taking the break that Manchester United afforded to him. Instead, he decided to get right back to work. After saying his goodbyes to everyone at the academy, Jerry went to a public park and started doing some on-the-ball drills. The park was quiet, with only a few joggers and dog walkers passing by, which allowed him to focus entirely on his training. For hours, he worked on his dribbling, his touches, and some quick changes of direction. When he got back home, he wasn't done yet. He changed into his gym gear and started a light workout session. He knew there was no time to waste, especially if he wanted to impress at Manchester United.

Looking at his stats as analyzed by the system, it was clear to him that he needed to bulk up. His physique was lagging behind the rest of his attributes, and if he didn't fix that, he might struggle against bigger and stronger players. That realization gave him even more motivation to push himself harder in the gym.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity and emotions. He spent time saying goodbye to Moses, who had been scouted by Tottenham Hotspur. Moses was thrilled, and Jerry couldn't help but feel proud of his friend. At the same time, he felt a tinge of sadness knowing they wouldn't be training together anymore.

Then there was Jordan, who had received an offer to go on trial at Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal. After a lot of deliberation, Jordan eventually decided to go on trial at Manchester City. According to him, he didn't want to leave Manchester, and that only left him with one logical choice: to sign for Manchester City. Jerry didn't bother asking for all the details that led to Jordan's decision. He figured it wasn't his place to question it. All he knew was that in a week or so, he would start training with Manchester United's under sixteens, and he needed to be in top shape by then.

Each day, Jerry followed a strict routine. In the mornings, he worked on his ball control and dribbling. He would spend hours doing drills designed to sharpen his touch and improve his coordination. In the afternoons, he hit the gym, focusing on strength training to improve his physique. Despite the intense workload, he never let up. He was determined to be ready. By the end of the week, his body was sore, but the satisfaction of knowing he had improved kept him going.

The night before he was supposed to resume training with Manchester United's under sixteens, Jerry laid down on his bed. His body ached slightly from the training he had put himself through during the last week, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. A bit of ibuprofen and a good night's sleep would be enough to make him feel better by the morning. As he stared at the ceiling, he muttered, "System, I want to see my stats."

[Downloading host stats.]

Name: Jeremiah Hayes Jr. (Jerry)

[Club: Manchester United U-16]

[Position (This is the position the host is best suited for, not the position he has been playing):

Primary: Left Winger

Secondary: Central Attacking Midfielder, Right Winger, Second Striker, Center Forward]

[Player Stats:]

[Speed: 75 > 77]

[Pace: 82 > 84]

[Passing: 56 > 61]

[Control: 32 > 35]

[Shooting: 67 > 70]

[Shot Power: 61]

[Technique: 77 > 78]

[Physique: 22 > 25]

[Player Skills:]

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[--]

[Titles: None]

[Awards Won: None]

Jerry's head moved in a satisfied nod when he saw the increments to his stats. The hard work was paying off. However, he couldn't help but feel concerned about how poor his physique was compared to everything else. He knew it was something he would have to address by making more frequent trips to the gym. For now, though, he felt a sense of accomplishment. His efforts were showing results.

The next day came very slowly for Jerry. He was so excited about starting at Manchester United that he barely slept the night before. If not for the ibuprofen, which knocked him out, he might have stayed awake the entire night, thinking about what lay ahead.

When morning finally came, Jerry's hands moved quickly as he grabbed his cleats and other essentials, stuffing them into his training bag. He was about to leave his room when the door slowly opened, revealing Jeremiah's figure. His father stood there, looking at him with an expression Jerry couldn't quite read.

"I take it you're ready?" Jeremiah asked. Jerry responded with a slow nod.

Ever since the quarter-final match against Jermaine Walter Academy, his dad had been acting... different. He was nice, considerate, and supportive—all things he hadn't been before. The change was almost jarring. The night before, Jeremiah had even offered to give Jerry a ride to training. Although Jerry couldn't complain about his dad's sudden shift in attitude, he didn't allow himself to get too comfortable with it. Deep down, he couldn't shake the fear that it was temporary, that his dad might snap back to his old ways at any moment.

"Alright then, let's leave," Jeremiah said. Jerry followed him out of the room, through the living room, and into the car. As they drove to the training facility, Jerry kept his eyes fixed on the scenery outside, his foot tapping anxiously on the car floor. His nerves were building with every passing moment.

Finally, they arrived. "Carrington," Jerry muttered under his breath as he stepped out of the car. "I'm actually at Carrington."

"Yeah," Jeremiah said, his voice unusually soft. "You're here."

"Yeah."

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them. Jeremiah fidgeted slightly before speaking again. "Alright, so this is the first major step you're taking toward getting a pro career. Good luck."

"Thanks," Jerry replied with a small smile. He could see that his dad was nervous. Strangely enough, it seemed like Jeremiah was more nervous than him.

Without another word, Jerry closed the car door and turned to face Manchester United's famous training facilities. The sheer scale of the place took his breath away. This was where legends trained, where the first team honed their skills. If he was lucky, he might even run into a couple of first-team players. And if he was really lucky, he might get to meet Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

One might think that Jerry, being the son of a Manchester United legend, would've met plenty of iconic players growing up, but that wasn't the case. His dad's connections never extended to introducing him to the club's greats. Now, standing at the entrance to Carrington, Jerry felt a mix of awe and determination. This was his chance to prove himself, to carve out his own path.

"I can't mess this up," he muttered to himself as he adjusted the strap of his training bag and began walking toward Manchester United's under sixteens training area.

A/N: if you have an idea or something that you feel will be useful in this book, please feel free to share in the comments