Jamie felt the golden sunlight warm his skin as he listened to Steve Brooker talk.

He wanted to take in every word, hear every syllable that came out of his mouth. Steve Brooker was the most important man that Jamie had ever met.

“I have to admit,” Steve was saying. “I was a bit surprised that you started on the bench, but then I suppose it was the way that you were able to turn the game on its head in such a short space of time that really caught my eye.”

“As a coach, sometimes you only need to see one piece of magic, one passage of play to convince you that there is something you can work with in a player. When you did that step-over today, Jamie, I knew I’d seen something special. Something very special.”

Jamie swallowed hard. His mouth was dry. He could feel his head starting to judder with excitement.

“Thanks,” he just about managed to splutter.

“Jamie,” Steve continued, “I think you might have something. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’d like to find out. I’d like you to come and play for Foxborough.”

Very discreetly Jamie dug his nail as far as he could into his own skin. He had to check that it hurt. He had to check that this was actually real. He’d only believe it was if he saw blood coming out of his. . .

“Well?” said Jamie’s dad. “Are you going to give the man an answer?”

“Yes,” said Jamie, softly at first, still trying to take in everything that was happening. “Yes! A thousand million yeses! I’d crawl all the way up the motorway to play for Foxborough!”

Jamie was bouncing around now, hugging his dad and Steve.

“Great,” said Steve. “I’m glad. You’ll move up and we’ll put you on a Scholars contract. Then, assuming you’ve done the business, you’ll turn pro when you’re sixteen.”

The words seemed to fly like spirits in the air. They were too precious for Jamie to touch. But he could hear them and he could understand what they meant.

At first his legs went weak and he thought he might faint but then his energy came rushing back. He felt like dancing. He felt like running down the street and kissing everyone he met! He could never have believed when he woke up this morning that his day would end like this.

“Congratulations, Jamie,” said his dad. He looked almost as excited as Jamie did.

They hugged for the first time in nine years.

From over his dad’s shoulder, Jamie could see a bundle of dreadlocks running towards him.

It was Jack! She must have taken the bus here after her game.

Jamie’s face lit up when he saw her. Without Jack, he might never have got on the team coach today. And that would have meant he wouldn’t be standing here now, with his dad and Steve Brooker.

Jamie could see Jack was holding something up for him to see. It was a medal! She must have won her Cup Final!

Jamie couldn’t say the same. He hadn’t won this Cup Final. He didn’t have a winner’s medal today. But he had something else; something completely different.

He had the future ahead of him that he’d longed for his entire life.

Jamie Johnson was going to be a professional football player.