The Rising Star - Alexia Putellas

Part 116

A/N: Happy monday! Hope you all have a good one! 

"Ellie, you're up." Alex walked past me with a smile and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

After our recovery training, our future coach wanted to have a talk with each of the players. Everyone had already gone, except for me. I was the last one.

I knew that it meant nothing and that it was just to get to know the players but after my first interaction with him, I couldn't help but be a bit nervous. Something about the man unsettled me.

Vlatko was sitting in a conference room at the hotel we were staying at. It was only him in the room. When I walked in he stood up to greet me and shook my hand.

"It's nice to see you, Eleanore. Have a seat." He shook my hand and gestured for me to sit down.

I did as I was told and with a shaky breath I sat down. The man in front of me took me in. He squinted his eyes a bit and it was like he was taking in every little detail of my face. It only lasted a split second but it felt like an eternity.

"I like to start by saying that this conversation will have no immediate effect on your future with the national team. I just like to get to know the players before I really start to work with them." He confirmed what Jill had been telling me all along and I visibly relaxed.

"However, I will use it not only to get to know you but to inform you about what my priorities are as a coach and what I expect from you. The way you answer these questions, does affect my reasoning and thoughts about your future selection." He said sternly. I simply nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment.

I was beyond nervous. My hands were slightly shaking and it surprised me that he couldn't see my heart hammering out of my chest.

"Shall we begin?" He raised his eyebrow with a smile on his face.

"Yes." Was all I could get out. It was pathetic how nervous I was.

"Perfect. Introduce yourself as a player." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at me intently and waited for me to start.

"Uhm, I'm Eleanore Queen. I'm twenty one years old. I play central midfield fo"

"Is that the only position you can play?" Vlatko immediately interrupted me and stared right at me with what could be described as a disapproving look.

"No. It's not. That's just my usual position but I can play anywhere in midfield really and I guess I can be a forward or defender as well." I stammered out unsurely. He bent forward again and scribbled something down in his notebook.

It felt like I had to defend myself here, like I had something to prove. The whole time I was talking, he kept looking at that little black notebook in front of him.

"Interesting and you play for Arsenal." He said looking up from it.

"No, Barcelona." I interrupted him, confused. "I transferred in the summer." My eyebrows were knitted together. How could he not know that? Surely he had to have done his homework and know the basics about his players.

"Right and are you planning on staying there?" He started writing something in his small notebook again but looked up at me and waited carefully for my response.

"I don't know. Yes?" The way he asked that question insinuated that he didn't want me to stay and it caught me off guard.

"I have a contract till the summer of 2022." I shrugged my shoulders, not really sure what he wanted me to say. I have been playing overseas for years and to be honest, it never occurred to me to move back to the States.