Remember the euphoria of playing Championship Manager back in the day?
Not even a packet of Skips, a can of Panda Pop and a copy of The Beano could quite replicate the thrill of winning back-to-back Champions League titles with minnows like Accrington Stanley. By that point, all the greats were practically knocking on your door: Zidane, Maldini, Cherno Samba.
And, yes, we're well aware our skills never saw us plucked from primary school and taken to a Premier League dugout yourself. But miracles, it turns out, do happen - as one young fan has just gone and managed the lower league football team he supports against Bolton Wanderers. IN REAL LIFE. They even drew 1-1. Wonderful stuff.
Related: The Champ Man Dream Has Died: Cherno Samba Is Retiring
Some four tiers down the league than the Championship team, National League North’s AFC Flyde had auctioned the chance for a fan to become manager in the friendly fixture, shadowing usual gaffer Dave Challinor. But when that winner couldn’t make it, 11-year-old Daniel Fryer was handed the responsibility.
As a ball boy at the club who also travels to away matches to cheer the team, it was clearly a dream come true - it would be for any fan at any age. But Fryer wasn't messing around – he gave a team talk, in which he demanded the players give 100 per cent, held a press conference and even made his own substitutions in the game itself. And when the final whistle rang out to signal a richly deserved draw, all eyes were of course focused on the small chap wearing a jacket emblazoned with 'Boss’.
Challinor said of the move: "Dan's a massive help to the club on matchdays anyway, but he was obviously given a bit of a promotion. It's a great insight for him into what goes on in the dressing room and on the bench."
Now, if he can win back-to-back promotions with AFC Flyde and sign Tonton Zola Moukoko up, we’ll be even more impressed.
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