Chapter 32 : Golden Boy...

In the CBS Sports studio, Kate Abdo sat at the center of the panel, looking at her co-hosts—Micah Richards, Jamie Carragher, and Thierry Henry—before turning to the camera with a smile.

"Well, gentlemen, that was some performance from Manchester City. A 3-0 win against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, and history was made tonight. Nico Cruyff, just 15 years old, became the youngest player to ever play in the Champions League, the youngest to score, and the youngest to assist in this competition. Micah, you were practically jumping out of your seat when that second goal went in. What did you make of it?"

Micah Richards laughed, shaking his head. "Listen, Kate, I don't even know what to say anymore. I mean, we all knew this kid was special, but this? At 15?! This was outrageous! The first goal—beautifully taken. But that second goal? He sent Barzagli back to 2010 and made Buffon look like an amateur! The composure, the technique, it was unbelievable."

Jamie Carragher smirked. "Micah, calm down, mate. You're acting like he's won the Ballon d'Or already!"

Micah raised his hands. "Jamie, be honest, when have you ever seen a 15-year-old play like that?!"

Carragher sighed, nodding. "Fair enough. Look, I'll be honest—I was skeptical. I thought the hype might be a little too much, but tonight, I get it. He didn't just show flashes of brilliance, he dictated the game. That pass to David Silva for the third goal? That was world-class vision. He looks so composed for someone so young."

Kate turned to Thierry Henry. "Thierry, you were one of the best forwards to ever play the game. When you see a young player like Nico do what he did tonight, what goes through your mind?"

Henry smiled, leaning forward. "It's not just about the goals, Kate. It's about how he plays, how he moves. You see young players with talent, but this is different. The way he reads the game, the way he manipulates defenders, that is special. For the first goal, he intercepts the ball, beats his man with a Cruyff Turn, and then plays a perfect through ball to Aguero before finishing the move himself. That is football intelligence beyond his years."

Kate nodded. "So, what does this mean for City moving forward? He's 15, Pep Guardiola is managing his development carefully, but do you think he becomes a regular starter this season?"

Jamie Carragher shrugged. "It's tough. Pep's not the type to rush young players, but how do you keep him out of the team when he's doing this? He already has six goals and six assists in his first five games. If he keeps this up, I don't see how you leave him on the bench."

Micah Richards grinned. "Jamie, he's already City's best player right now!"

Henry chuckled. "Let's not go too far, Micah. He's special, but he still has to prove it over the season. If he can keep this level, then yes, we are talking about a generational talent."

Kate Abdo leaned forward, steering the discussion in a new direction. "Now, let's talk about something that's already becoming a hot topic—Nico Cruyff and the Golden Boy award. Micah, is he the frontrunner?"

Micah Richards leaned forward with a big grin. "Let's not forget, this isn't just a five-game hot streak. This kid was tearing it up in Spain before he even set foot in the Premier League! In just half a season with Real Betis in the Segunda División, he played 23 matches, scored 29 goals, and provided 14 assists. That's ridiculous! And now, he's come to Man City, stepped up to a much higher level, and what does he do? Six goals and six assists in just five games. Five games! This isn't normal, Kate."

Jamie Carragher nodded but still played devil's advocate. "Look, I get it, Micah. Those are insane numbers. But the Segunda isn't the Premier League or the Champions League. The real test is consistency over a full season in England."

Thierry Henry smirked. "And what has he done so far, Jamie? He's carried his form over seamlessly. He didn't just score against some mid-table team—he dominated Juventus. He toyed with their defense and made Buffon look helpless. We're not talking about potential anymore; we're talking about results."

Kate Abdo turned to Micah. "So you think the Golden Boy is already his to lose?"

Micah laughed. "If he keeps this up? 100 percent! There's no 15-year-old in the world doing what he's doing. There's no 18-year-old doing what he's doing! He's got the stats, he's got the performances, and now he's making his mark on the biggest stage."

Jamie sighed. "Alright, alright. If he keeps this up for the rest of the season, I'll admit it—he'll be the youngest Golden Boy winner ever."

Henry chuckled. "And if he keeps improving at this rate, we might be talking about a future Ballon d'Or winner instead."

Kate smiled, closing the discussion. "Whatever happens, one thing is clear—Nico Cruyff isn't just a rising star. He's already a superstar in the making."

___________

Back at home, Nico sat on the living room floor, laughing as Valentina tried to dribble past him with a small football. She was giggling, her tiny feet tapping the ball forward, but Nico easily stole it away with a playful flick of his foot.

"Not fair!" Valentina pouted, crossing her arms.

Nico chuckled, rolling the ball back to her. "Come on, Valen. Try again. You'll get better."

She huffed but quickly got back into it, determined to get past him at least once. Nico played along, pretending to struggle as she wiggled past him before slotting the ball into a makeshift goal.

"GOAAL!" she cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

Nico exaggerated his reaction, clutching his head. "Nooo, I've been defeated!"

Valentina jumped on him, giggling. "You need to practice more, big brother!"

Maria, standing by the doorway, watched the scene with a soft smile. As Nico sat up, ruffling Valentina's hair, she finally spoke.

"You're really good with her, you know?" she said.

Nico turned his head, shrugging. "She's like my little sister."

Maria walked over, sitting next to him. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you ever think about... things outside of football?"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Maria looked down, twiddling her fingers. "I don't know... relationships, feelings, stuff like that."

Maria listened quietly as Nico let out a small laugh before answering, his voice calm but thoughtful.

"I mean, I do sometimes think about what it would be like to have a girlfriend and all," he admitted. "But I've always had too much going on. Playing at La Masia with the name Nico 'Cruyff' wasn't easy. As I played better and better, the expectations grew."

He leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "Then I played in Segunda at 14, and now, at 15, I'm in the Premier League. I know I've been playing well, making it look effortless, but… it's really not."

Maria remained silent, sensing the weight in his words.

"Right now, people appreciate me because I'm playing well. But if I don't score or assist in the next game, they might call me something else," he said with a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He exhaled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I don't usually say things like this."

Maria didn't say anything else. She just moved closer and wrapped her arms around Nico in a gentle hug.

"You can tell me things, you know," she whispered.

For a second, Nico froze, caught off guard by the sudden embrace. He wasn't used to this—being vulnerable, letting people see past the composed exterior he always maintained.

After a brief pause, he swallowed and muttered, "Thanks."

His voice was quieter than usual, and there was the slightest hint of fluster in it. Maria only smiled, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling away.

"Anytime," she said softly, before standing up and walking away, leaving Nico sitting there, his thoughts slightly scattered.

Still a little flustered from the hug, Nico pulled out his phone and called his grandmother, Danny Coster.

It didn't take long for her to answer. "Nico, my love! How are you?" her warm voice came through the phone, instantly making him feel at ease.

"I'm good, Grandma," he said, his voice steadying. "I just... wanted to hear your voice."

Danny chuckled softly. "Oh, my sweet boy. Is something on your mind?"

Nico hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, not really. Just wanted to check in."

His grandmother hummed knowingly. "Mmm, I see. Well, I'm always here, you know that. No matter what."

A small smile tugged at Nico's lips. "I know. Thanks, Grandma."

They continued talking for a little while—about his match, about how proud she was of him, about how his grandfather was already bragging to his old friends. By the time the call ended, Nico felt lighter, the previous flustered feeling fading away.

_____________

As Nico cut the call, Christina's voice rang through the house. "Dinner's ready!"

Everyone made their way to the dining table, settling into their usual spots. As expected, Valentina wasted no time climbing onto Nico's lap, giggling as she made herself comfortable.

"You really like being spoiled, huh?" Nico teased, picking up a spoonful of food and feeding her.

Valentina nodded happily. "Because you do it the best!" she said with a grin, making the others chuckle.

As they ate, Marius suddenly leaned forward, a smug expression on his face. "So… something happened at school today," he announced, clearly fishing for attention.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, here we go."

Marius ignored her, puffing out his chest. "A girl told me she likes me."

There was a brief silence before Valentina gasped dramatically. "Marius has a girlfriend?!"

Marius quickly waved his hands. "No, no! She just said she likes me, that's all!"

Pep smirked from his seat. "And? What did you say?"

Marius hesitated, suddenly looking a little unsure. "I… I kinda just said 'oh' and walked away."

Everyone burst into laughter, even Christina shaking her head. "Ay, Marius. You've got a lot to learn."

Nico chuckled, ruffling Marius' hair. "Next time, at least say 'thank you' before running away."

Marius groaned. "I panicked, okay?!"

As the laughter settled, Marius suddenly turned to Pep with a curious expression. "Dad, do you think Nico is going to win the Golden Boy award?"

Maria leaned in as well, clearly interested. "Yeah, everyone's talking about it. Micah, Thierry, even Jamie said he's the clear favorite."

Pep, who had been quietly enjoying his meal, placed his fork down and glanced at Nico. He smirked slightly before answering, "Well, I think he has a very strong chance. But awards aren't won by what people say on TV—they're won on the pitch."

Nico, still feeding Valentina, raised an eyebrow. "So, that's a no?"

Pep chuckled. "That's not what I said. If you keep playing like you have been, there's no one else who deserves it more."

Marius turned to Nico. "What do you think?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't really think about it too much. If it happens, it happens. My focus is just playing well and winning games."

Maria rolled her eyes. "That's such a boring answer."

Nico smirked. "Fine, do you want me to say, 'Yes, I'm the best, give me the award already'?"

Marius burst out laughing. "You should! That would be hilarious!"

Christina shook her head. "Just let him play. If he wins, he wins. If not, life goes on."

Pep nodded. "Exactly. But…" he glanced at Nico, his smirk returning. "I'd start preparing a speech just in case."

Nico shrugged. "Just in case, I'll say this—this year's Golden Boy is a little more special."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Nico took a sip of water before answering. "Jorge told me that they're presenting the Golden Boy award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony this year."

Pep looked up, surprised. "The Ballon d'Or ceremony?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, apparently they want to give it more prestige."

Pep let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Jorge really has a lot of contacts."

Nico grinned. "Yeah, he does."

Maria, leaning forward with a mischievous smile, asked, "If you win, who do you want to receive the award from?"

Nico didn't even hesitate. "Juninho."

Everyone at the table burst into laughter. They all knew how much Nico admired Juninho Pernambucano—he had talked about him countless times.

Maria smirked. "Why him? He's not even that good."

Nico gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if he had been mortally wounded. "God… don't say that again. I might die, you know."

Marius laughed so hard he nearly choked on his food, while Valentina, not fully understanding but wanting to join in, giggled in Nico's lap.

Maria rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic."

"Not dramatic," Nico corrected, still holding his chest. "Just deeply hurt."

Pep shook his head with a small smile. "You really are something else."

As the laughter settled, Christina stood up. "Alright, enough teasing. Finish your food."

Nico grinned and continued eating, the warm atmosphere around the dinner table making him feel at home.