by D.N. Newyn
Jamie Harrington used to be a defender you could rely on, until the match-fixing scandal that ended his career and relationship like a rogue corner kick. Seven years and one ban later, he’s just another ex-pro flipping steaks on a rusted grill, pretending not to watch football (soccer) highlights through the neighbor’s window. When his brother, now a Premier League star, drags him into coaching a struggling Tier 7 side, Jamie expects nothing but mud and bad pitches. What he doesn’t expect is the game. Not the game. His literal video game. The old Football Management Simulator he’s been playing to kill time starts bleeding into reality. He sees player stats above heads, morale bars hovering like ghosts, and form graphs in real time. And they’re accurate. Now, for the first time in years, Jamie’s got an edge. A disgraced defender turned reluctant manager, a small-town club on the brink of collapse, and a gift that shouldn’t exist. With his new vision, he might just rebuild Dunsvale from the dirt and drag them all the way to the top of the Champions League. Every stat matters now, and he’s playing for keeps. [For every chapter I add on Royal Road from C6 onward, I’m adding an extra chapter on Patreon. The Patreon will always be ahead.]
