OK everyone, this is my first attempt at a story, so please don’t be too critical if you don’t like it, and please leave any criticism in the form of a comment. Most importantly though, enjoy the story and don’t forget to comment! So here goes...
Road to Success - A Marco Verratti Story
I ran through the middle of the pitch with the ball not venturing more than a metre away from my feet. I took it past one player, two players, and I kept going until it was just me and the goalie. I kept running, leaned left, taking the goalie with me, until I tapped the ball with the outside of my right boot, allowing me to easily pass the keeper, and slot the ball coolly into the back of the net. I ran over to the corner flag and stopped in front of the fans, who roared their appreciation. Before long, I had the arms of 9 teammates wrapped around me, uttering congratulations in my ears. But today, it was not them or the fans that I was trying to impress. Or even the manager. Today, I was looking to impress the man in the 3rd row of the east stand, a scout from England, who represented a club from the second tier of English football. The club was Cardiff City.
After 72 more minutes of playing football, in which I wrapped up an assist as well as my earlier goal, the final whistle was blown. Pescara 3-1 Portosummaga was the final score. Portosummaga were supposedly title contenders, so that made the result even more special, however, this was in the back of my mind, because I knew that my sole aim today had been to impress the on looking scout, and I believe that I had played one of the best matches of my career, and now I knew there was nothing more that I could do, but wait, and hope that the man watching had seen potential in me. As I walked into the dressing room, the manager gave me a pat on the back and told me I’d done well. He wanted me to stay at the club, but had told me that he would fully support my decision if I wanted to move to a bigger club, and that was the reason that I had so much respect for this man. He was almost like a second father to me.
When I got home that evening, my mother and father ran to the front door and wrapped their arms around me, which seemed a little odd to me. I asked them what I had done to make them so proud, and I still remember their answer to this very day. My father said “We just got a phone call from Cardiff City, and they’ve had an offer accepted by both clubs that co-own you, which means you now belong to them!”
My face lit up at my father’s words and I must have jumped about 2 feet in the air. I couldn’t believe it! Cardiff City wanted me to play for them! Apparently, they would pay for accommodation for my family while my parents looked for a permanent place to stay, so everything seemed perfect!
I, Marco Verratti, was on my way to Cardiff City!
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