Read Online T.J. and the Hat-trick by Theo Walcott - Free Book Online
Authors: Theo Walcott
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away!’
They were standing on the field. It was the final training session before their match against Hillside the following day.
‘As I was saying,’ Mr Wood continued. ‘Wanderers won that match by passing the ball and being patient.’
‘And by brilliant skill,’ TJ interrupted.
‘Sure, TJ,’ Mr Wood said. ‘But you can’t score a spectacular volley if your team doesn’t have the ball. Let’s make sure we know how to keep the ball once we have it. Passing and moving, that’s what I want you to do. Make it easy for whoever has the ball to pass it to you. Think about where the rest of the team are. Be ready to pass to them. OK. Let’s do it!’
TJ stood in front of the goal. He knew why he was fed up, but there was nothing he could do. He watched as the team began to play better than he’d ever seen them play before, passing the ball and calling to each other. Even Tulsi ran a few metres to make space for Rodrigo to pass to her, then turned and scored a great goal.
‘Not bad,’ Rob said. He was standing near TJ as usual. ‘We might even have a chance.’
‘I suppose,’ TJ said, kicking the goalpost that Mr Wood had just finished repairing.
‘What’s the matter?’ Rob asked.
‘Nothing.’
TJ kicked the post again, and then he heard Jamie yell. He glanced at the pitch and saw that Jamie had played a back pass. He flung himself across the goal, but he was too late, and the ball skidded past him into the net.
‘What were you doing?’ demanded Jamie.
‘You should have looked to see where I was,’ TJ told him crossly.
‘You should have been ready. You’re the goalkeeper, remember?’
‘That’s enough,’ Mr Wood said. ‘Anyone can make a mistake. Just remember to concentrate tomorrow, TJ.’
When training was over Mr Wood called them together. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘This is the team for the match. Tulsi, Tommy, Rodrigo, Rafi, Jamie, Danny and TJ. Subs will be Cameron, Ariyan and Jay. Play like that tomorrow and you’ll be a match for anyone. TJ, can you wait behind a minute? I want to talk to you.’
‘I’m sorry I messed up,’ TJ said as the others walked away, talking excitedly. ‘I wasn’t concentrating. I’ll be better tomorrow.’
‘It’s not that,’ Mr Wood said. ‘I’ve been watching you in training, TJ. You’re fast. You have excellent ball control. Your friend, Rob, tells me you have the best record of anyone for passes completed in the training exercises. So I just wondered – are you really sure you want to be a goalie? You didn’t look happy today. How about, once this match is out of the way, you have a try on the pitch?’
‘You mean it?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘But . . . someone else would have to go in goal. I mean, you’d have to drop someone.’
‘It’s always like that, TJ. Even for someone like Marshall. Young Dexter Gordon has taken his place in the team at the moment. But it’s good for Wanderers to have two great players fighting to play in the same position. And anyway, for this game you stay in goal, OK? It wouldn’t be fair on the others to change it now.’
Rob was waiting for TJ in the street. ‘What did Mr Wood say?’ he asked.
‘It was just about the goalkeeping,’
TJ replied, hugging his secret to himself. One day soon, he’d get his chance. ‘I messed up today. I won’t do that tomorrow.’
‘We can win,’ Rob said, his eyes shining. ‘I’m sure we can. I counted sixty-three successful passes, and the movement was excellent.’
‘You’re right,’ TJ agreed. ‘And I’m going home to practise. See you in the morning.’
After school the following day, the Parkview School football team changed into their football kit. Cameron’s dad had done a great job of mending it. ‘I can hardly see the holes at all,’ Jamie said.
‘Yeah, but that shirt is a bit tight, isn’t it?’ Tommy laughed. ‘Have you been growing, Jamie?’
‘A bit,’ said Jamie. ‘I can’t help it. I have to eat.’
Jamie looked
They were standing on the field. It was the final training session before their match against Hillside the following day.
‘As I was saying,’ Mr Wood continued. ‘Wanderers won that match by passing the ball and being patient.’
‘And by brilliant skill,’ TJ interrupted.
‘Sure, TJ,’ Mr Wood said. ‘But you can’t score a spectacular volley if your team doesn’t have the ball. Let’s make sure we know how to keep the ball once we have it. Passing and moving, that’s what I want you to do. Make it easy for whoever has the ball to pass it to you. Think about where the rest of the team are. Be ready to pass to them. OK. Let’s do it!’
TJ stood in front of the goal. He knew why he was fed up, but there was nothing he could do. He watched as the team began to play better than he’d ever seen them play before, passing the ball and calling to each other. Even Tulsi ran a few metres to make space for Rodrigo to pass to her, then turned and scored a great goal.
‘Not bad,’ Rob said. He was standing near TJ as usual. ‘We might even have a chance.’
‘I suppose,’ TJ said, kicking the goalpost that Mr Wood had just finished repairing.
‘What’s the matter?’ Rob asked.
‘Nothing.’
TJ kicked the post again, and then he heard Jamie yell. He glanced at the pitch and saw that Jamie had played a back pass. He flung himself across the goal, but he was too late, and the ball skidded past him into the net.
‘What were you doing?’ demanded Jamie.
‘You should have looked to see where I was,’ TJ told him crossly.
‘You should have been ready. You’re the goalkeeper, remember?’
‘That’s enough,’ Mr Wood said. ‘Anyone can make a mistake. Just remember to concentrate tomorrow, TJ.’
When training was over Mr Wood called them together. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘This is the team for the match. Tulsi, Tommy, Rodrigo, Rafi, Jamie, Danny and TJ. Subs will be Cameron, Ariyan and Jay. Play like that tomorrow and you’ll be a match for anyone. TJ, can you wait behind a minute? I want to talk to you.’
‘I’m sorry I messed up,’ TJ said as the others walked away, talking excitedly. ‘I wasn’t concentrating. I’ll be better tomorrow.’
‘It’s not that,’ Mr Wood said. ‘I’ve been watching you in training, TJ. You’re fast. You have excellent ball control. Your friend, Rob, tells me you have the best record of anyone for passes completed in the training exercises. So I just wondered – are you really sure you want to be a goalie? You didn’t look happy today. How about, once this match is out of the way, you have a try on the pitch?’
‘You mean it?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘But . . . someone else would have to go in goal. I mean, you’d have to drop someone.’
‘It’s always like that, TJ. Even for someone like Marshall. Young Dexter Gordon has taken his place in the team at the moment. But it’s good for Wanderers to have two great players fighting to play in the same position. And anyway, for this game you stay in goal, OK? It wouldn’t be fair on the others to change it now.’
Rob was waiting for TJ in the street. ‘What did Mr Wood say?’ he asked.
‘It was just about the goalkeeping,’
TJ replied, hugging his secret to himself. One day soon, he’d get his chance. ‘I messed up today. I won’t do that tomorrow.’
‘We can win,’ Rob said, his eyes shining. ‘I’m sure we can. I counted sixty-three successful passes, and the movement was excellent.’
‘You’re right,’ TJ agreed. ‘And I’m going home to practise. See you in the morning.’
After school the following day, the Parkview School football team changed into their football kit. Cameron’s dad had done a great job of mending it. ‘I can hardly see the holes at all,’ Jamie said.
‘Yeah, but that shirt is a bit tight, isn’t it?’ Tommy laughed. ‘Have you been growing, Jamie?’
‘A bit,’ said Jamie. ‘I can’t help it. I have to eat.’
Jamie looked
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