Those words — "Get ready for more" — still echoed in John's ears. He silently looked into Danny's eyes, filled with pride and hope. Danny's presence and words gave John strength. He felt that this wasn't just a meeting; it was a moment that was going to completely change his life.
Danny's voice softened a little.
— "You know, John, when I was your age, I also dreamed big. But often, people would tell me, 'That's impossible,' 'You're not ready yet.' But I never allowed those words to become my limits. You already have something that many people spend years trying to find — confidence. But that alone doesn't build a great player. You also need patience. Don't think everything will happen quickly. There will always be hard days, losses, and fears. But it's those days that shape the real person."
John clenched his teeth, silently accepting Danny's advice. He could feel it — this meeting wasn't just a conversation. It was a challenge: to make the invisible visible, the unreachable reachable.
Someone was already calling for Danny, but he wasn't in a rush to leave.
— "Can I promise you something?" he said, stepping a little closer.— "Of course," John answered, a bit confused but full of excitement.
— "If you keep going down this path, if you never lose your belief, one day you'll be where I am now. And when that day comes, you must go to another young boy and tell him about your journey. Do you agree?"
John stayed silent for a moment. In his eyes, a fire lit up — the same fire Danny had already noticed. He smiled and nodded.
— "I promise."
Danny smiled softly and placed his hand on John's shoulder.
— "Now, catch that ball again like you're shaking the world. Your talent is great, John, but your heart is even greater."
After Danny left, John stood there alone for a moment. There was an indescribable feeling inside him. Then he returned to the field where the other kids were still playing. But now he was a different person — the same boy, yet filled with a new kind of belief.
His friends noticed something different about him.
— "John! What did Danny tell you?" one of them asked.
John brushed his messy hair back, smiled, and replied,
— "He said there are still many games ahead of me… and I'm ready."
The next day, the whole village was buzzing about Danny's visit. Even the teachers at school mentioned how proud they were that such a boy had come from their village. But John didn't feel the pride of having suddenly grown up. He knew this was only the beginning.
He went into his small room, where a handmade poster hung on the wall. It said, "One day, I will save my team."He walked over, grabbed a marker, and added underneath:
"That day is coming soon."
That very evening, he put on his gloves and went out to the field. There were no games, no spectators. Alone, he began practicing his movements, jumping, catching imaginary balls. The field was getting darker, but he didn't stop.Inside him, Danny's voice still echoed: "Get ready for more."
At that moment, John wasn't just a young boy anymore. He was the boy Danny believed in.And soon enough, the entire village began noticing the change in him.Not just in how he played, but in how he walked, spoke, thought…He was beginning to believe that sometimes, even dreams go looking for those who truly deserve them.
From that day on, John's routine changed.Every morning before school, he would get up early, lace up his old boots, put on his slightly worn-out gloves, and run to the village field. Even when the grass was wet with morning dew, or when the wind chilled his face, he was there, diving, catching, getting up again and again.
The villagers noticed him. Some smiled proudly; others shook their heads, thinking he was too young to be so serious. But John didn't care. Deep down, he felt that every drop of sweat was building the future he dreamed about.
At school, he wasn't just "John the kid" anymore. His classmates began seeing him differently. He wasn't louder, or tougher, or cockier — he was focused. In class, he listened carefully. During breaks, he practiced small drills with a ball, even inside the empty corridors. Some teachers warned him not to run indoors, but they, too, smiled behind his back.
One afternoon, after a long training session by himself, John sat by the edge of the field, watching the sunset. The sky was painted in shades of gold and red. His gloves lay beside him, soaked and dirty. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and closed his eyes for a moment.
"One day," he whispered to the wind, "I will make them proud. I'll make Danny proud. I'll make myself proud."
Weeks passed. Then months.
John's skills grew sharper. His reflexes became faster. His leaps higher. His hands stronger. His mind clearer.
But the road wasn't without hardships.
There were days when he felt drained. Days when the ball slipped through his fingers and he sat on the ground, furious at himself.There were nights when he questioned whether he was good enough. Nights when the loneliness of chasing a dream felt heavier than the gloves he wore.
Sometimes his friends invited him to play games, to have fun, but he often chose training instead. And when he did go, he could feel a small distance forming between them."Maybe I'm changing too much," he thought."Maybe they don't understand."
But then he remembered Danny's words — "Get ready for more."And he knew that greatness didn't come without sacrifices.
One cold winter evening, as he practiced in the empty field, someone approached from the village path. John saw a figure under the streetlights — a man carrying a large bag. Curious, he jogged toward him.
The man smiled warmly and introduced himself.
— "I'm Victor. I'm a coach from the Northern Continental League. I've heard a lot about you, John Vermog."
John's heart skipped a beat. The Northern Continental League?It was one of the biggest youth leagues in the entire region.
Victor continued.
— "Word travels fast when someone works hard. Danny told us about you after his visit. We've been keeping an eye on your progress. We'd like to invite you to a tryout next month. If you impress them, you could train with the league's junior team."
John couldn't believe his ears."A tryout?""With real teams?""Is this really happening?"
Victor handed him a flyer with all the information. He placed a reassuring hand on John's shoulder.
— "It won't be easy. You'll be facing players from bigger cities, with better equipment, better training. But if you bring the same fire Danny saw in you — the fire we've heard about — you'll have a real shot."
John stared at the paper, feeling his fingers tremble slightly.He nodded, trying to hold back the overwhelming emotions surging inside him.
After Victor left, John sprinted home faster than he ever had before. He burst into the house, yelling for his parents.
They gathered around the kitchen table as he breathlessly explained everything. His mother's eyes welled up with tears; his father clapped him on the back so hard that John almost stumbled.
— "We always knew," his mother said softly, smiling through her tears, "that your dream would find its way to you."
That night, John barely slept.He stared at the ceiling, thinking of all the mornings he had dragged himself out of bed, all the hours spent diving onto muddy fields, all the times he had whispered his dreams to the stars.It was finally beginning to pay off.
He knew the next month would be crucial. He doubled his efforts. Every single day, every single minute mattered now.He worked on his weaknesses, stayed after dark practicing kicks and catches. He studied famous goalkeepers, their stances, their reactions. He wrote down his own observations in a small notebook he carried everywhere.
And all the while, in the back of his mind, Danny's words stayed with him like a heartbeat:
"Get ready for more."
Finally, the day of the tryout arrived.
John stood at the entrance of a giant stadium he had only ever seen on TV. His bag hung over his shoulder, his gloves tight around his wrists. Kids from all over the country were warming up nearby — some taller, some faster-looking, some wearing brand-new gear.
For a brief moment, doubt crept into his mind.
"Am I really ready for this?""What if I fail?"
But then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered — the John who stood here today wasn't the same boy who had just played in a dusty village field.He was stronger now.Wiser.Hungrier.
He walked onto the field with his head held high.
The coaches evaluated every move, every save, every decision.John gave it everything he had. He dove for impossible shots, commanded his small defense with courage, shouted encouragement to teammates he had just met that morning.
He didn't need to be perfect — he just needed to show who he truly was.
When the session ended, the coaches gathered the players to announce who had been selected for the next round.John's heart pounded in his chest so loudly he could barely hear anything.
Then he heard it:
"John Vermog."
It was like the world slowed down for a second.He smiled, feeling tears threaten to rise, but he fought them back with the biggest grin he had ever worn.
Later that evening, standing by himself outside the stadium, he took a moment to take it all in. He pulled out his notebook and wrote down one simple sentence:
"Today, I took the first real step."
And from somewhere inside, he heard it once more —not from the wind, not from the stadium, but from his own spirit, burning brighter than ever:
"Get ready for more."