CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 147: THE U21’S CALL-UP II

Afternoon

3:47 PM

By afternoon Demien’s phone exploded with notifications as England’s official Twitter account posted the U21 squad list, and his name appeared in the midfielder section alongside players from Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City.

@England: England U21 squad announced for upcoming friendlies vs Italy & Germany. Lee Carsley names 23-player group. Full details: [link]

Instagram followers spiked by several thousand in the span of twenty minutes, and congratulatory messages flooded his DMs from people he barely knew though a few stood out.

Isabella sent three messages in rapid succession:

OMG Demien!!!

😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

I’m so proud of you tesoro!!!

Sophia sent one text that arrived simple and direct:

Congrats on the call-up.

No emojis, no extra words, just acknowledgment that felt genuine because Sophia didn’t do performative enthusiasm, and even though things had been distant between them recently the fact that she’d reached out at all meant something because she could have easily just seen the news and said nothing.

Marco called instead of texting, and his voice came through excited but controlled.

"Demien! Congratulations! England U21s—this is huge for your profile."

"Thanks, Marco."

"International recognition at eighteen? Keep performing like this and the senior team call-up won’t be far behind. This changes your market value significantly."

"Napoli first," Demien said, echoing Gasperini’s words.

"Exactly right. Focus on Sunday. Everything else comes after."

The England FA sent an official email at 4:15 PM with reporting instructions—travel to St. George’s Park on Sunday, September 19th after club commitments concluded and the email included a detailed schedule for the international window with training sessions, tactical meetings, and both friendly matches.

Italian football media picked up the story quickly and headlines appeared across major outlets:

Gazzetta dello Sport: "Atalanta’s English Revelation: Demien Walter Called Up to England U21s"

Corriere dello Sport: "International Recognition for Walter After Impressive Serie A Start"

Sky Sport Italia: "18-Year-Old Midfielder Earns England Call-Up Following Strong Performances in Bergamo"

Demien processed it all with the calm detachment David had learned from years in professional football, acknowledging the validation while keeping focus exactly where Gasperini demanded: Napoli away, Saturday, 8:45 PM kickoff.

Thursday, September 12th, 2022

Bortolotti Training Complex

9:30 AM

Thursday arrived lighter and the 9:30 AM training session was designed for recovery rather than intensity because the match was forty-eight hours away and bodies needed rest more than work.

Activation drills came first with dynamic stretching and movement patterns that kept muscles warm without straining them, and then the squad broke into small groups for technical rondos where the emphasis was touch and passing accuracy rather than competitive pressure.

Demien ended up in a circle with Pasalic, Muriel, Malinovskyi, and Boga, and the ball moved smoothly between them while conversations stayed light.

"England," Pasalic said after a few passes. "You nervous about international football?"

"Not really," Demien replied. "Just friendlies. More worried about Saturday."

"Good answer," Muriel said, and he flicked the ball to Malinovskyi with the outside of his boot. "Napoli’s the real test."

At 10:45 AM Gasperini gathered everyone at midfield for a final tactical walkthrough without heavy running, and he used cones to mark out Napoli’s defensive shape while explaining pressing triggers one more time.

"When their goalkeeper has the ball, we don’t rush," Gasperini said, and his laser pointer indicated specific zones on the pitch. "We set our press here, here, and here. Force them wide. Cut off central options. Make them play into areas we control."

Set piece review followed with emphasis on defensive organization against Napoli’s corner routines, and Gasperini’s voice carried across the pitch with pointed intensity.

"They’ll target the near post with Osimhen. Kim Min-jae attacks the back post. Everyone else crashes for second balls. We stay disciplined or we concede."

His final words before dismissal landed heavy.

"Napoli. That’s our entire focus. England comes after you’ve done your job here."

The system chimed as players dispersed.

「TRAINING SESSION COMPLETE」

「Quality: Good」

「REWARD: 10 TP」

「Current Balance: 105 TP | 0 SP | 16 MP」

Recovery protocols filled the afternoon as players rotated through massage tables where therapists worked out accumulated tension, ice baths that made muscles scream before going numb, and light resistance work in the gym that maintained strength without adding fatigue.

Demien spent an hour in the video analysis room with Gasperini’s assistant reviewing his positioning responsibilities one final time, and they watched clips of Napoli’s midfield transitions while the assistant pointed out where space would open and where danger would come from.

"Lobotka sits deep," the assistant explained. "Anguissa pushes forward. Zielinski floats. Your job is reading which space to occupy based on their positioning."

"Understood."

"Good. Saturday you’ll see it in real time. Trust your preparation."

Evening

Demien’s Apartment

7:30 PM

Evening settled early as pre-match routines activated internally, and Demien FaceTimed Isabella who answered on the second ring with her face already beaming.

"Tesoro! England U21s! I can’t believe it!"

Her voice was thick with emotion and her eyes were bright, and Demien smiled because his mother’s pride was always genuine and unfiltered.

"It’s just U21s, Mum. Not the senior team."

"Just U21s? Demien, do you know how many players never get that far? This is incredible!"

They talked for twenty minutes while Isabella asked questions about the international matches and when she could watch them, and Demien answered patiently though his mind kept drifting toward Saturday because Napoli mattered more than friendlies two weeks away.

After the call ended he opened his iPad and pulled up Napoli highlights one more time, watching Osimhen’s movement patterns and Kvaratskhelia’s dribbling angles, and the familiar analysis routine settled over him like a blanket because this was what David Drinkwater had done before every match across seventeen clubs.

Sleep came before midnight because the weekend ahead required everything.

Friday, September 13th, 2022

Gewiss Stadium

10:00 AM

Friday morning at 10 AM brought the team to Gewiss Stadium for a light activation session on the actual pitch, and players walked through movements in slow motion while visualizing space and feeling grass beneath boots two days before it mattered.

The stadium was empty and quiet except for groundskeepers finishing final preparations, and the September air felt crisp as Demien jogged through his assigned zones and mentally rehearsed where he’d receive passes and where he’d look to release them.

Gasperini gathered the squad at midfield after thirty minutes and his pre-match talk was brief but clear.

"Starting XI for Sunday," he began, and his eyes moved across the group. "Four-two-three-one formation. Musso in goal. Tolói, Demiral, Djimsiti in defense. Hateboer and Mæhle as wing-backs. De Roon and Koopmeiners anchor. Lookman left, Malinovskyi right, Walter as the ten. Højlund up top."

Demien’s chest tightened slightly because starting against Napoli away was exactly what he’d expected but hearing it confirmed made it real.

"We travel tomorrow afternoon," Gasperini continued. "Bus leaves at 3 PM. Match kicks off Sunday at 8:45 PM. Questions?"

Silence.

"Good. Let’s go."

The system’s routine 10 TP chime barely registered as the squad returned to the training ground for a collective lunch, and the pre-match meal preparation began its careful nutritional timing with grilled chicken, rice, vegetables, and precise hydration schedules.

Afternoon freedom found most players napping or resting in their apartments while Demien sat on his couch mentally rehearsing Napoli’s press triggers and where space would open when their fullbacks pushed high.

Evening brought early dinner—more chicken, pasta for carbs, light salad—and early sleep at 9:30 PM because tomorrow Atalanta traveled to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and Demien knew with both his eighteen-year-old determination and David’s veteran wisdom that Napoli away was where reputations got built or broken.

His phone sat on the nightstand with notifications silenced, and the last thing he saw before closing his eyes was the system balance glowing faintly in his peripheral vision:

「Current Balance: 115 TP | 0 SP | 16 MP」

Sunday was coming.

Authors Note:

Thanks for the power stones and golden ticket... like that was what motivated me to actually write, The fact that i know people read my book, i really do appreciate.

Now we move unto the next match before the international side.

Goodluck on Demiens Journey.