2026-01-16, 09:24 AM - Word count:
As Austin Morley stepped off the pitch for the final time in his Academy career, it was hard to shake the feeling that he still had more to prove. After his time with Stockholm IK, it was difficult to know where he stood.
When he’d first joined the club, he was a nobody, a complete unknown in the world of professional soccer -football – he corrected himself in his head. His knowledge of the game had been minimal, and he had no clear idea of what he was doing.
Choosing to play Center Defense had seemed like the most straightforward option, aside from keeper. All he had to do was stop the guy trying to put the ball in the net. Simple, right? But after 11 appearances, his stats weren’t exactly that of a future star.
Morley wasn’t dumb. He knew he wasn’t a standout player by conventional standards. His header success rate barely broke 50%, and his 22 interceptions were far from impressive. Worse still, his tackle success rate was a modest 78%, and his pressing percentage of 25% ranked in the bottom third of the league. His average match rating of 6.96 placed him in the bottom half of Academy players, too.
Yet, when Morley reviewed his stats, he found a silver lining. It wasn’t all bad. In fact, some of his numbers stood out, albeit in less flashy categories. He had the highest passing percentage in the Academy at 92.3%, which had led to the fifth most progressive passes. And while his tackle stats left much to be desired, he’d made the most key tackles and recorded the second most clears in the league. Those were the moments that mattered most, right?
Despite these positives, Morley knew his overall performance wasn’t turning many heads. His team had been middling, and with the draft right around the corner, he didn’t expect to hear from many scouts. Maybe he just wasn’t good enough. He had tried his best, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. As he walked off the pitch that day, he figured that it was probably his last game.
He said his goodbyes to teammates, packed his bags, and prepared to head back to the United States. When he closed the door to his Istanbul apartment for the last time, he said goodbye to nobody in particular and turned to walk away.
Then, his phone rang.
"Hello, is this Austin Morley? My name is Dominic, and I’m head of the scouting department for Hollywood FC."
Austin’s heart skipped a beat. In a mix of confusion and excitement, he stammered, finally confirming it was him on the line. Dominic explained that while Hollywood FC didn’t have a pick in the upcoming draft, he had been impressed by Morley’s performances and wanted to wish him well. He sounded genuinely excited to follow Morley’s career.
The conversation ended just as Austin was about to board his flight. As the plane took off, he reflected on his time in the Academy. Maybe there was still hope after all. If Hollywood saw something in him, then maybe he wasn’t as invisible as he had thought. His dreams took over, imagining himself playing under the neon lights of Tokyo, soaring with Shanghai’s Dragons, battling in the Colosseum of Rome. The possibilities felt endless.
When Austin woke from his nap, there was a smile on his face and drool on his chin. As he disembarked the plane he was hopeful, but as he turned on his phone, he saw… nothing. No messages. No calls. Not a single text from another scout. His heart sank.
As he walked through the terminal, his shoulders slumped and he felt a wave of disappointment as he opened his Uber app.
When suddenly…
Ba-ding! Buzz.
Ba-ding! Buzz.
Ba-ding! Buzz.
His phone exploded with notifications. Calls, texts, Zoom invitations, and flight offers from multiple SSL organizations. In that moment, everything changed. It was overwhelming, exhilarating. Teams were actually interested in him. Over the next week, Morley spoke with several teams, and the reality set in. He might actually get drafted.
Four teams stood out to him: Liffeyside Celtic FC, Xelaju Cosmico FC, Schwarzewalder FV, and AC Romana. But if he were to bet, Liffeyside seemed the most likely to take a chance on him.
Then draft day arrived. Morley tried not to get his hopes up. He knew the odds were slim. Still, he tuned in to the live stream, expecting the first few rounds to fly by before anyone even considered him.
To no one’s surprise, Bodhi Grizz went first to Tokyo, followed by Turd Ferguson to CD Tenochtitlan. Morley figured he’d tune out for a bit as Schwarzwalder went on the clock. He expected Lisfor IlovezeagLe would go here. Truthfully, his conversation with them had been solid, but it didn’t have the same spark as some of the other teams.
"And with the third overall pick, Schwarzwalder FV selects…"
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Morley grabbed it, expecting another mundane notification. But as the screen brightened, his eyes froze. His phone was flooded with congratulatory messages.
"What in tarnation?" he muttered.
He looked back at the draft screen. His eyes widened as he saw himself on the screen.
"…Austin Morley." The commentator’s voice echoed in his head.
Morley’s breath caught in his chest. Was this real? He rewound the stream, replaying the announcement in disbelief.
“at third overall, they select Austin Morley. A very versatile and strong defensive player…will be a strong player for us as long as he wants to”
It was him.
He turned back to his phone, where Schwarzwalder’s number appeared. He answered, almost mechanically, as the voice on the other end launched into an enthusiastic monologue about what they saw in him, how they envisioned him fitting into their strategy.
Morley wasn’t sure what to think. He was overwhelmed, excited, and terrified all at once. Could he really be the player they wanted him to be? Could he live up to the expectations?
Only time would tell.
When he’d first joined the club, he was a nobody, a complete unknown in the world of professional soccer -football – he corrected himself in his head. His knowledge of the game had been minimal, and he had no clear idea of what he was doing.
Choosing to play Center Defense had seemed like the most straightforward option, aside from keeper. All he had to do was stop the guy trying to put the ball in the net. Simple, right? But after 11 appearances, his stats weren’t exactly that of a future star.
Morley wasn’t dumb. He knew he wasn’t a standout player by conventional standards. His header success rate barely broke 50%, and his 22 interceptions were far from impressive. Worse still, his tackle success rate was a modest 78%, and his pressing percentage of 25% ranked in the bottom third of the league. His average match rating of 6.96 placed him in the bottom half of Academy players, too.
Yet, when Morley reviewed his stats, he found a silver lining. It wasn’t all bad. In fact, some of his numbers stood out, albeit in less flashy categories. He had the highest passing percentage in the Academy at 92.3%, which had led to the fifth most progressive passes. And while his tackle stats left much to be desired, he’d made the most key tackles and recorded the second most clears in the league. Those were the moments that mattered most, right?
Despite these positives, Morley knew his overall performance wasn’t turning many heads. His team had been middling, and with the draft right around the corner, he didn’t expect to hear from many scouts. Maybe he just wasn’t good enough. He had tried his best, but sometimes that wasn’t enough. As he walked off the pitch that day, he figured that it was probably his last game.
He said his goodbyes to teammates, packed his bags, and prepared to head back to the United States. When he closed the door to his Istanbul apartment for the last time, he said goodbye to nobody in particular and turned to walk away.
Then, his phone rang.
"Hello, is this Austin Morley? My name is Dominic, and I’m head of the scouting department for Hollywood FC."
Austin’s heart skipped a beat. In a mix of confusion and excitement, he stammered, finally confirming it was him on the line. Dominic explained that while Hollywood FC didn’t have a pick in the upcoming draft, he had been impressed by Morley’s performances and wanted to wish him well. He sounded genuinely excited to follow Morley’s career.
The conversation ended just as Austin was about to board his flight. As the plane took off, he reflected on his time in the Academy. Maybe there was still hope after all. If Hollywood saw something in him, then maybe he wasn’t as invisible as he had thought. His dreams took over, imagining himself playing under the neon lights of Tokyo, soaring with Shanghai’s Dragons, battling in the Colosseum of Rome. The possibilities felt endless.
When Austin woke from his nap, there was a smile on his face and drool on his chin. As he disembarked the plane he was hopeful, but as he turned on his phone, he saw… nothing. No messages. No calls. Not a single text from another scout. His heart sank.
As he walked through the terminal, his shoulders slumped and he felt a wave of disappointment as he opened his Uber app.
When suddenly…
Ba-ding! Buzz.
Ba-ding! Buzz.
Ba-ding! Buzz.
His phone exploded with notifications. Calls, texts, Zoom invitations, and flight offers from multiple SSL organizations. In that moment, everything changed. It was overwhelming, exhilarating. Teams were actually interested in him. Over the next week, Morley spoke with several teams, and the reality set in. He might actually get drafted.
Four teams stood out to him: Liffeyside Celtic FC, Xelaju Cosmico FC, Schwarzewalder FV, and AC Romana. But if he were to bet, Liffeyside seemed the most likely to take a chance on him.
Then draft day arrived. Morley tried not to get his hopes up. He knew the odds were slim. Still, he tuned in to the live stream, expecting the first few rounds to fly by before anyone even considered him.
To no one’s surprise, Bodhi Grizz went first to Tokyo, followed by Turd Ferguson to CD Tenochtitlan. Morley figured he’d tune out for a bit as Schwarzwalder went on the clock. He expected Lisfor IlovezeagLe would go here. Truthfully, his conversation with them had been solid, but it didn’t have the same spark as some of the other teams.
"And with the third overall pick, Schwarzwalder FV selects…"
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Morley grabbed it, expecting another mundane notification. But as the screen brightened, his eyes froze. His phone was flooded with congratulatory messages.
"What in tarnation?" he muttered.
He looked back at the draft screen. His eyes widened as he saw himself on the screen.
"…Austin Morley." The commentator’s voice echoed in his head.
Morley’s breath caught in his chest. Was this real? He rewound the stream, replaying the announcement in disbelief.
“at third overall, they select Austin Morley. A very versatile and strong defensive player…will be a strong player for us as long as he wants to”
It was him.
He turned back to his phone, where Schwarzwalder’s number appeared. He answered, almost mechanically, as the voice on the other end launched into an enthusiastic monologue about what they saw in him, how they envisioned him fitting into their strategy.
Morley wasn’t sure what to think. He was overwhelmed, excited, and terrified all at once. Could he really be the player they wanted him to be? Could he live up to the expectations?
Only time would tell.
