Saturday morning, May 21st. I woke with a jolt, my heart pounding a nervous rhythm against my ribs.

For a moment, I was disoriented, the pale light of Emma's bedroom unfamiliar, the soft sounds of Manchester morning traffic filtering through the curtains. Then it hit me. Today was the day. The day I said goodbye.

I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Emma, and padded into the living room. My bags were already packed, standing by the door like silent sentinels, a stark reminder of the life I was leaving behind and the one that was waiting for me.

Two suitcases, one backpack. Everything I owned that mattered. In one week, I'd be in London for good, starting a new chapter in a city that felt like a different planet. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.

I stood there in the grey morning light, staring at those bags, and felt the weight of it all pressing down on me. This was real. This was happening.

In seven days, I'd be living in a different city, coaching at a Premier League academy, starting a career I'd only ever dreamed about. And I'd be leaving behind everything I knew. Everyone I loved.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Emma's voice, soft and laced with sleep, made me jump. She was standing in the doorway, wrapped in her dressing gown, her hair a beautiful mess. She came over and wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her head on my back. I could feel her warmth, her steady presence, and it grounded me.

"I don't know if I can do this," I whispered, the words catching in my throat. "Saying goodbye. It feels… final."

"You don't have to say goodbye," she murmured into my back. "You're saying 'see you later.' There's a difference. Today is about celebrating what you built, not mourning what you're leaving."

She was right, of course. She always was. But the knot in my stomach remained. We stood there for a long time, the silence of the morning wrapping around us like a blanket.

We had a plan. I'd move down on the 28th, stay in a hotel for a few days while I sorted out the flat in Beckenham we'd be viewing on Wednesday.

Emma would visit the first weekend of June. It was all logical, all planned out on one of her terrifyingly efficient spreadsheets. But logic couldn't quiet the fear, the gnawing uncertainty of it all.

"Come on," she said finally, pulling away and taking my hand. "Let's have breakfast. Proper breakfast. You need to eat."

We sat at her small kitchen table, the morning sun finally breaking through the clouds, casting golden light across the room. She made scrambled eggs and toast, and we ate in comfortable silence.

I watched her as she ate, memorizing the details. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear. The way she smiled at me over her coffee mug. The way she made everything feel manageable, even when it wasn't.

"You're going to be brilliant today," she said, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "They love you. And you love them. That's all that matters."

An hour later, we were in the car, heading towards Moss Side. The sun was shining, a rare and welcome sight in Manchester, but it did little to lift my spirits.

I watched the familiar streets roll by, the corner shops and terraced houses, the parks where kids played football with jumpers for goalposts.

This was home. This was where I'd grown up, where I'd stacked shelves at three in the morning, where I'd dreamed impossible dreams. And soon, I'd be leaving it all behind.

As we pulled up to the ground, I saw that the car park was already full.

Cars were parked on the grass verges, people were streaming through the gates, and the sound of music and laughter drifted over the walls. It felt like a festival, like a celebration. The banner hanging over the entrance read: "Thank You, Danny Walsh - Forever Our Gaffer."

My throat tightened. I hadn't expected this.

"Ready?" Emma asked, squeezing my hand.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Ready."

We stepped out of the taxi, and the moment we walked through the gates, it started. A ripple of recognition, then a wave of applause.

"There's the gaffer!" someone shouted. "Legend!" another voice roared. "Don't go, Danny, we need you!" a third pleaded. I was mobbed, surrounded by familiar faces, by the people who had stood by us through the rain and the mud and the impossible dream.

Old men who'd watched every match, young kids wearing Moss Side shirts, parents who'd brought their children to see the team that had made history. They wanted photos, handshakes, and autographs. I was overwhelmed, my throat tight with an emotion I couldn't name.

This was what I was leaving. Not just a football club. A community. A family.

Terry appeared through the crowd, a huge grin on his face, and clapped me on the shoulder. "They haven't forgotten you, son," he said, his voice thick with pride. "They never will. Got something to show you before kickoff. Come on."

He led us away from the throng, towards the changing rooms. But they weren't the changing rooms I remembered.

The old, cramped, damp-smelling room was gone. In its place was a brand-new facility, gleaming with fresh paint and the smell of new wood. There were proper showers, individual lockers with nameplates, a medical room with a physio table, and a tactics room with a whiteboard and a projector.

And on the wall, a gleaming brass plaque.

The Walsh Changing Rooms

Funded by the transfer of JJ Johnson to Brighton & Hove Albion

In honour of the manager who made us champions, 2015/16

I stared at it, the words blurring through a sudden film of tears. "Terry… you didn't have to do this."

"All because of you and JJ," he said, his own eyes glistening. "You changed this club forever. This is your legacy, son. This is what you built."

***

Thank you nameyelus and chisum_ lane for the gifts.

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