Become A Football Legend

"Huh? What are you talking about? Didn't you see the list?"

Lukas stopped in the middle of zipping his training bag and looked up at Ansgar, "What do you mean by that?" he asked as his eyes widened in expectation.

"Check the group chat."

Lukas removed his phone from his pocket and showed it to Ansgar. "I am not in the group chat yet."

"Yo, Luke! Congrats, man. You're traveling with us!" Larsson screamed as he entered the locker room.

"Really? Let me see," Lukas's heart skipped a beat as he tried to remain composed.

He took the phone from Larsson and looked through the message.

Matchday Travel – FC St. Pauli vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Date: Saturday, 20:30 KO

Departure: Friday, 16:00 – Team Bus from Deutsche Bank Park to Frankfurt Airport

Hotel: The Fontenay, Hamburg

Dress Code: Club tracksuit

Traveling Squad:

1. Trapp (G)

2. Kaua Santos (G)

3. Dahoud

4. Koch

5. Metanovic

6. Götze

7. Larsson

8. Skhiri

9. Marmoush

10. Ekitiké

11. Chaïbi

12. Tuta

13. Uzun

14. Aaronson

15. Hasebe

16. Knauff

17. Theate

18. Nkounkou

19. Collins

20. Kristensen

21. Brandt

Lukas's eyes widened as he saw his name at the end of the list, but he calmly sat down on the bench. He knew he was good enough to play in the Bundesliga but never expected coach Topmöller to give him a chance this early on.

"Congrats, Luke. You deserve it." A few players congratulated him on making the match squad.

Kevin Trapp, the captain, walked up to Lukas and patted him on the shoulder. "With coach Dino, it's your performance on the training ground and on the pitch that determines whether you're in the squad or not. Keep performing how you always have in training, and be ready to come on and play your part when called upon, and you will always be included in the squad."

"Thanks, Kev. I will be ready."

"That's good. I have just added you to the group chat. I remembered to do it before, but it slipped my mind."

"No problem. Thanks."

The group dispersed as Larsson and Ansgar went to the shower while Kevin walked to his locker.

Lukas watched the group chat in disbelief. He had officially made a matchday squad for a team competing for a Champions League spot just six months after he was dropped by a second-tier team's academy.

He walked down to the lobby and called Javi immediately. The call connected after just one ring.

"Hello, Luke. How is training. Are you coming home now?"

"Dad... I made the match squad!"

"...."

"Hello? Dad?" Lukas could only hear footsteps from the other end of the phone, then closing and locking of a door.

"Oh my goodness, Luke! That's unbelievable!" Javi screamed after he presumably got to a quiet area at the university.

"Yes, I couldn't believe it either."

"I'm so happy for you, son. So the match's tomorrow right? Are you traveling with them tomorrow morning? Or today? How does it work in the first team?"

"The bus will leave at 4pm today. So we have enough time to rest, recover, and practice before the match tomorrow."

"Okay... Uhmm... Let's see... What do you need? I'll rush home and get it all and bring to you."

"It's alright, dad. I have everything I need over at my dormitory at Riederwald. It's just a 10-minute ride from here. I'll go get it."

"Okay. That's good. I'll see you at the stadium tomorrow."

"You wanna come? I don't even know if I'll get any playing time, though."

"I wouldn't miss your debut match for the world."

Lukas smiled as he breathed a silent sigh of relief, "Okay, I'll send you the e-ticket."

* * *

About five hours later.

A black team bus pulled up directly onto the tarmac beside the waiting aircraft, the players began to stir from their naps and idle chats. There was no rush, no crowded terminal, no need to wrestle with strangers over boarding groups. This wasn't a commercial flight — it was their flight.

The jet bore no club crest on the outside, but the moment they stepped onto the mobile stairs and into the cabin, the Eintracht Frankfurt atmosphere wrapped around them like a second kit. The subtle hum of the engines blended with the quiet shuffle of boots and duffel bags as the squad filed in, many already wearing noise-cancelling headphones and travel tracksuits bearing the eagle crest.

Lukas placed his little luggage in the top compartment and lay down on a vacant seat beside a window just by the left wing of the aircraft. The seat was almost fully reclined with more leg-room and space than a standard business class seat.

Overhead screens displayed the flight route — Frankfurt to Hamburg — and just beside the main galley, the team chef and flight attendant were setting up trays of grilled chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables, portioned and seasoned to fit each player's dietary plan. A few of the staff were sipping espresso from the built-in machine while looking over matchday logistics.

The flight took off after about twenty minutes of settling in.

There were no screaming kids, no long announcements, just the occasional murmur over the intercom: "Estimated arrival in Hamburg in 48 minutes. Team staff, please ensure medical bags are secure."

Lukas lay on his reclined seat, eyes closed, with his noise-cancelling headphones on as he listened to a melo piano concert to relax.

[*Ahhhhhh... What did I miss? What is this sound blessing our ears?*] A very familiar voice sounded in Lukas's head. It was like the voice of someone who just woke up from a deep sleep.

"Jeez! You scared me," Lukas sat up suddenly his eyes wide open as he looked around.

"What's the matter?" Ekitike who was sitting in the seat directly in front of Lukas turned and asked.

"Oh it's nothing, the music suddenly switched to something entirely."

"Oh I know that feeling... Spotify playlist, right?"

"Yeahh..." Lukas responded as he lay back down on his chair.

"Where have you been?"

[*I was updating. Didn't you see the progress bar?*]

"It was on 99% for 10 whole days. Not cool man."

[*Yeahh... That was my bad. I'm back now, though. What's happened in my absence. Why are you on a flight?*]

"You normally just read my memories and find out."

[*Well, I've been bored, so I wanna talk.*]

"We're on our way to an away match at Hamburg."

[*Oh nice... You made the team. Our Lukas is all grown up now.*]

"Shut up. Is the LTC updated?"

[*Yeah. You can login whenever you want.*]

"Maybe after the game. I don't wanna go through the mental fatigue a session would cause right now."

[*Good choice, 'cause there's a lot to unpack. A lot was patched with the new update.*]

"I see, I'll get some rest now. Let's talk about that later," Lukas responded as he drifted off to a light sleep.

* * *

"Hello and welcome to the Millerntor-Stadion in Hamburg, home of FC St. Pauli and currently packed with 30,000 fans who have come to support their club in the opening game of the second half of this season. My name is Derek Rae, and I am joined here by Stewart Robson."

"Hi Derek, I'm happy to be here, and we can look forward to an enchanting game. Eintracht Frankfurt will look to resume the second half of the season with a bang, and St. Pauli will fight tooth and nail to secure something. They're currently in the relegation zone, and home games are their best chance to secure something. It should be a scintillating watch, Derek."

"You're right, Stewart. It will be a great game."

The players headed out down the tunnel — Frankfurt in their away white, red and black kit. While St. Pauli wore their sleek distinctive brown home kit with a box design.

After the pre-match formalities, "FWEEEE!" The referee blew his whistle to signal the beginning of the match.

In a familiar sitting room with dark sofa and a wedding picture above the TV, João was sitting on the sofa switching through channels,"There's nothing to watch!" he lamented.

After a minute, something caught his eye that made him go back to the previous channel — Marmoush chasing down the ball St. Pauli had just kicked off.

"Might as well watch the game to see how Lukas's teammates play," he thought as he got comfortable.

"And it's kick-off. Happy new year, if you're just joining us, the Bundesliga is back in action with the first match of 2025. St. Pauli kicks off the match.

St. Pauli using a 3-4-3 formation with Vasilj in goal, Wahl, Smith, and Nemeth in defence, Boukhalfa joining Saliakas, Irvine, and Treu in the midfield. Sinani and Afolayan down the wings, and Guilavogui up top.

Topmöller deciding to change things up for Eintracht Frankfurt, with a 3-4-1-2 formation with Marmoush and Ekitike leading the line and Götze just behind them as the attacking midfielder. Brown, Skhiri, Larsson, and Collins, in midfield. The defense pairing of Theate, Koch, and Kristensen, with Kevin Trapp, the skipper, in goal.

Of course, the talk on social media today is the inclusion of 16-year-old Lukas Brandt on the bench."

"What!?" João screamed as he jumped up from his seat, "Lukas!?"