The Next Big Thing
Chapter 90: Realisation

Chapter 90: Realisation

Trey, a British-Nigerian, sat in his apartment, his eyes glued to the phone screen in his hand. He had built quite the Twitter following—600,000 strong—a massive increase from the 100,000 he’d gained since the lockdown. His followers hung on his every word, especially when he shared his hot takes, which they affectionately called "the Trey Jinx." Most of his posts revolved around Manchester United, a club he passionately supported.

As he scrolled through his feed, a tweet caught his attention. "Check out Manchester United’s new buy—the 16-year-old England-born star, David Jones, playing right now." Trey paused. He vaguely remembered reading something about this transfer, but at the time, he hadn’t taken it seriously. For a club like Manchester United, a deal like this seemed on the low side.

He shrugged, boredom nudging him to do something. With nothing better to occupy his time, he decided to tune into the match. At first glance, he didn’t recognize any of the players on the pitch, except for his club legend, Wayne Rooney. Trey glanced at the jerseys, confirming each player’s identity, and when he saw David, it was clear—he was the youngest on the field.

Trey hissed his teeth. "Tch, another pretty boy player. Isn’t one Jude Bellingham enough?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

The match kicked off, and Trey, still focused on his phone, was jolted by the sound of the commentator shouting, "Goal! Goal! Goal!" His eyes snapped up to the screen in surprise. What, already? he thought to himself. Then he saw it—the player he’d tuned in for, David Jones, had scored.

"Yes! Let’s go!" Trey shouted, jumping up from his seat. He leaned in, waiting eagerly for the replay. He watched as David launched into an attack, collecting the ball, but what really blew his mind was the skill—the way David slipped the ball between the defender’s legs, sending him crashing into the goalkeeper.

"Damn!" Trey screamed from his apartment, hands cupped around his mouth. His face twisted in amazement. "Shit, that was disgusting, man—fuck!"

As David powered the ball into the net, despite the open post, Trey couldn’t help but laugh. "Guess we have another Vardy-type player on our hands," he muttered, shaking his head.

Grinning, Trey returned to his phone, immediately typing out a tweet.

"Just decided to watch our new star boy, David Jones. Damn, we need to give our scouts a raise instantly. The kid is insane. Still the second minute, and he’s already scored—damn, bro! And he has a Beckham-level of attractiveness. Just imagine the sales he and Rashford will pull in. Nah, insane buy. Y’all @manchesterunited, you guys did well 🔥💯"

as he sat down back still looking at the match as rooney and david seemed to talk his phone buzzed he smiled replies coming in instantly

@MichaelS:What, really? Is he that good?

@TreyJinx:You’ll see. Just watch the match, trust me.

@Tommy_Boy_23 Replying @MichaelS:Well, not anymore now that Trey has tweeted this.

@TreyJinx Replying @Timmy_Boy_23:Haha, nah. He’s still a beast. You’ll be eating your words soon.

@EmmaLovesFootball:Are you guys really gassing up a fucking championship game?

@JamesF_92 Replying @EmmaLovesFootball:Shut it. Just watch the match—the goal was insane.

@Oliver_Media:Let me make a vid quick that goal was insane

@CFC_Janty: taking a screenshot for when he turns to shit thanks to you 👀

Trey, no longer focused on his phone, was completely immersed in the match. His eyes never left the screen, mesmerized by David. The way the kid dribbled—nah, it was like watching Neymar Jr. The fluidity of his movements, the way he weaved between players—it was all so aesthetically pleasing. Trey had lost count of the number of times he’d muttered "ooo" in awe while watching the game.

Then, in the 30th minute, a Millwall player nearly scored from a close corner, but the ball was just wide, landing safely in the goalkeeper’s hands. Trey watched as the keeper powered the ball into the open field with impressive strength.

"Go, go, go!" Trey shouted, his eyes widening as he saw David sprinting after the ball. "Damn, he’s fast," Trey thought to himself, amazed as the young player left a defender trailing in the dust.

But then, a taller defender appeared, heading straight for the ball. Trey’s frustration flared, and he threw his hands up into the air. "Ahh, how? Nah!" he exclaimed in his Nigerian pidgin, showing his frustration that David couldn’t get to the ball.

Then, Trey’s eyes widened again as he watched David use his body to shield the defender, pushing him off balance. The defender stumbled and fell awkwardly. Trey squeezing his face saying. "Essshhh," he muttered under his breath, his face contorting in pain despite not being the one to fall.

Trey’s tone shifted again as he watched David, now in control of the ball, charging toward the goalkeeper’s post. As the keeper rushed out to meet him, David pulled off a quick fake shot that left the goalkeeper committed to the save. In that instant, David chipped the ball over him with perfect precision. Trey burst into laughter, unable to contain his excitement. But David wasn’t done. He sprinted after the ball, hitting it with such power that it flew into the net again.

Trey stood there, his hands slapping the air as he laughed in disbelief. "Who is this guy? No fucking chills!" he shouted, thoroughly impressed by the young player’s confidence and composure.

Then, his face suddenly dropped into panic as he saw something on the screen. Without thinking, Trey screamed at the TV, completely forgetting the distance between him and David. "Move, move, move!" he yelled, as if the kid could hear him through the screen.

Meanwhile back at the bar where some Derby County ultra fans sat watching the match

revor, the one who had initiated the protest to show the rookie that their club wasn’t to be messed with, now found himself in an eerily quiet bar. Despite the initial anger and the sheer number of people who had gathered, the atmosphere had completely shifted.

Seated next to his friend John, Trevor noticed that everyone in the bar had their eyes glued to the TV. It was as if they had forgotten why they were even here in the first place.

Trevor watched as David effortlessly dribbled past another defender, drawing another round of impressed gasps from the crowd. Turning to John, he muttered, "John, man... was the kid always this good?"

John, fully absorbed in the match, barely registered the question. "Ehn, what?" he asked absentmindedly, his gaze never leaving the screen.

Trevor frowned. "I said, was the kid always this good?"

A foul was called, giving them a brief pause in the action. John finally turned to Trevor. "Sorry, mate, didn’t quite catch that."

Trevor sighed, repeating himself. "I said, was the kid always this good?"

John shook his head. "Nah, man. Today is something else. Is it ’cause it’s his last match or something?"

Trevor hissed through his teeth. "Ohh, so he’s playing this well because he wants to impress his new team, right?"

John didn’t respond. Instead, his hands shot up in frustration. "Fuck! So close!"

Trevor’s attention returned to the pitch, where David stood, visibly disappointed after narrowly missing the free kick. As he watched the young player’s expression, a thought crept into his mind: Do I even have the right to be angry? I mean, come on... this kid is good. Way too good for our team.

Glancing around the bar, he saw the faces of the very people who had come here to disrupt the match—only now, they were smiling, completely captivated by the talent on display.

Trevor exhaled, a small smile forming on his lips. Well... might as well enjoy the match, he thought, realizing how lucky they had been to witness a once-in-a-generation talent at their club.

And, as David Jones always said: Football really does conquer all.

In just one game—half a game, actually—he had turned an indifferent influencer into a fan. And more impressively, he had made men who came to hate him fall in love with him all over again.

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