"Hehe, you should've seen Matt's face when Henry skied the shot in front of an empty net. It looked like he saw our chances of winning the league fly with the ball"

One look at Mike's grinning face clued me into the fact that Matt was not the only one feeling my absence from the team. 

His eyes tend to not crinkle when it's not a genuine laugh, making him a pretty bad liar when he's trying to be one. Although, in this instance, I just think Mike himself didn't find the skied shot all that amusing.

 

"*Sigh*. Not gonna lie, I started to wonder if there was any reason to try this season. I definitely felt the value a goal getter adds to the team and why a good striker can be so expensive and loved. Makes me wonder how I avoided getting frustrated before you joined"

Matt always complains about playmakers not being given enough credit, even claiming that playmakers are more important than strikers on many occasions. It was a pleasant surprise, hearing Matt acknowledge the importance of goal getters.

"C'mon, Henry wouldn't have been that horrendous. And I know the team is doing pretty good lately. Heard you guys clawed your way back to second place?"

"Well, it has gotten a little better lately, mainly thanks to the defence gritting their teeth every game. It's more common to see Josh lose his voice after every match trying to maintain an airtight defence than not. Mike has been diving every which way, even tanking a few shots with his face to keep a clean sheet"

"Ugh, my knees hurt thinking about the last game. I've been spending more stamina than ever during the matches, not to mention the massive bruise from one particularly tough match on my face that got everyone at work questioning if I got into a fist fight."

That put things into perspective for me. It seems the absence of a clear goal getter has forced the team to put in more work on the defence.

To be honest, I always thought Josh was not giving his best during our matches. It's nice to hear that he is stepping up when it counts. Our creaking defense was one my biggest concerns during my extended unintended break. 

'On an entirely different note, I need to get my hands on a few pictures of Mike's bruised face though'

"*Chuckle*, well you make it sound like you are having a bad time, but all I'm hearing is that the team is more united than ever and that you guys are giving it your all which is why we play soccer at all, especially at our age. Moreover, no one can mock us for being a one-man team anymore"

Both of my friends grunted an affirmation and proceeded to down the rest of their beers. I decided to take that as a win as I chugged my own beer down.

Though, seeing them working so hard at their passion, even in the form of a hobby, amateurs don't get paid after all, makes me wonder if I need to distance myself from playing football just because I hung up my pro boots. 

"While that maybe true, we would still very much like our dependable striker back. I'm hoping you didn't invite us out to drink to only hear about how the team is doing. So, when will you be returning Nick?"

With the both of them finally getting around to their goal for the evening, the table was wrapped in silence as the two pairs of eyes demanded an answer from me.

Taking a moment to think, I really started reconsidering if sticking it out at my current job is the right call. Not having any time to unwind and spend with friends, my average week started seeming more and more unattractive to me.

'I mean, getting to watch and analyse football matches and getting paid for it is never not going to be an exciting job for me'

'But do I really need to put myself through so much work, that I can't find the time to play some weekend league football? I could always be on the lookout for a similar job as Mike previously mentioned. I'm no longer a rookie lacking experience like I was 3 years ago right out of university'

"Hmmm, when's the next match? And who are you guys playing?"

Deciding to shelve that particular train of thought for when I am of a sound mind, I turned my attention back to the conversation and got it rolling again.

"We are playing Luton on Sunday. Honestly, we are hoping for a draw at best" - replied an intrigued Mike.

"Luton, huh. Tommy will be there?"

"You're goddamn right Tommy'll be there. He's half the reason why they're on top right now. Only you can score reliably against him. It's so infuriating to see him gloating now that you're not playing" - spat a pissed off Matt.

'Tommy is the only other ex-pro player in the league, of course he's going to wipe the board with most amateur strikers'

"Tell you what, you gather the boys on Friday. I need to sync up with the team before Sunday"

"You serious? Hell yeah! Your wish is my command, Sir Puskas. Can't wait to see Tommy's face when he sees you on the pitch" 

"Hahaha" x 2

Grinning at the excited Matt and the smiling Mike, I picked up my newly filled beer mug.

"Cheers" x 3

//Author's Notes:

I wanted to use this chapter as a way of getting to know Nick outside of his work. Hope I did a good job.

Skied a shot: Hit the shot into the spectator stands

 

Empty net: Opposing team's goalkeeper not present in between the goal and the player taking the shot. Typically happens if the goalkeeper comes out of net to attempt to narrow the angle of shooting.

 

Striker: The player typically responsible for scoring goals and is at the forefront of the attack.

 Clean sheet: Term used when a team manages to not concede any goals.

Playmaker: The player typically responsible for ball distribution. This player is generally good at understanding tactics and acts as the control tower by directing the flow of the match.

 Puskas: One of the best strikers to have ever played football.

Note - Defense is generally a group effort of 3-4 players in which the commanding defender is responsible for making sure the defending players are in the best position to defend any attacks. Josh is an example of a commanding defender.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)