Chapter Text
New Perspectives
Chapter title: Seasons
A/N: Hello all! Welcome to this fic! It is a multi-chapter fic revolving around the greatest football team ever, Liverpool FC. Follow the lads and Klopp on the pitch and off the pitch with my OC Jennifer Ford. There will be plenty of laughs and perhaps even a few tears? Well for some of the characters there will be anyway (hehehe). Anyway thanks for clicking on the fic I really hope you like it. Oh and one final point this is an OC/Mignolet fic so just wanted to make sure you definitely know that before reading as I know some people have very strong opinions against our keeper. It’ll be a slow burner though so you will have plenty of laughs with the other team members instead of just solely focusing on Mignolet. Anyway, enjoy!
New Perspectives…
It was the last training session before the team left to spend the holidays with their families. They’d lost yesterday to West Ham and the lads definitely took the loss hard, especially with their ex-teammate’s skilful goal which lead the opposition to victory.
It was nearing 5pm and the sky was already a deep navy; Klopp looked up and breathed in the fresh, cold, mid-winter air. As expected, it had been a rather bitter training session today, he heard a few of the younger boys grumbling about their cold fingers since they forgot to bring their gloves. The German couldn’t help but smirk at his team, they could moan like it was going out of fashion, but despite their complaints, they’d worked extremely hard today.
Things had been far from smooth since Jürgen became manager. Just as he was finding the perfect formations for the team and the tactics they needed to win, they’d been hit with lots of injuries; injuries which might have just cost them the chance to get into the top four or even win the title. The players were only just settling down before the starting eleven had to be completely changed due to key players being out for long periods. So not only were the tactics of play changing, the teams were as well. Now Klopp has been in this game for a while now and he knows what it takes to be a good team, it takes hard work, discipline and focus, but it also takes trust and knowledge. The knowledge of where your team mate will be next, who will be backing you up, who will assist you in stopping or scoring a goal without even needing to communicate. A real team needs to be glued together, always playing so they can build that relationship. Unfortunately, things just haven’t worked out that way.
But all Klopp can do is look past the negatives and forward to the future. He’s always believed that where there was bad fortune, a bit of luck was waiting just around the corner. He was reminded of this fact when he heard two of his hard working, injured players laughing heartily along with the head physio. Sturridge and Lovren were chuckling away at something the young woman had said and it brought a smile to the man’s face. True that wasn’t exactly a challenge, he smiled a lot but still, it was nice to see his team not losing their will to train despite their obvious disadvantage.
Glancing down at his watch, Klopp saw that the time was up and the team was due their five day break. He caught everyone’s attention and they all gathered around him obediently “Great work today, guys. I know yesterday was a hard loss to take, but we must continue to go forward and make up the lost goals in future games. But enough about football, the next few days are about the time you spend with your loved ones, I trust you will all enjoy your Christmases, so Merry Christmas to you all.” The gaffer was met with a cheery grouped reply before the LFC men filed back into the changing rooms to shower and go home.
Whilst the player’s left, the head of physiotherapy stayed behind to talk to her boss about their injured players. Klopp had a deep respect for the woman who tried her best to keep his players injury free. Jennifer Ford had been promoted once the previous job owner, Chris Morgan had decided to retire in order to spend time with his steadily growing family, about six weeks ago. Losing Chris had been hard on everyone on the team, including Ford herself. He was her mentor and close friend who’d she’d worked under ever since coming to Liverpool. But despite the large shoes she had to fill, Ford had fit right into her new job. The lads loved her which was always helpful, considering the amount of time they have to spend together. And the backroom team respected her despite her age and gender.
Unfortunately, where injuries were concerned, Klopp wasn’t the only one who came under fire from the press. The press and fans alike have been throwing blame to the new physio chief as well. Stating that she will never be like Chris and that she couldn’t prevent an injury to save her life. None of those things were true, the recent events had just been a large helping of really bad fucking luck. Despite all the bad press, like Klopp, the woman stuck to her job and didn’t let the headlines bring her down. The German admired that about her.
The young woman greeted him with a polite ‘sir’ before shooting off on a long explanation about the team and the injuries they were battling. “-and Sturridge is doing his part but I’m afraid I don’t see him coming back until sometime near February. His, Ings’ and Skrtel’s injuries are the ones that have hit us the hardest. We’ll just have to play it by ear and string together a team with whatever players we have left. Sorry, Klopp. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.” The manager smiled at her apology “That’s alright, Jen. No need to apologise. These things just can’t be helped sometimes. We’ll do what we can.” Jurgen reassured her. “Yeah sounds good, boss.”
NEW PERSPECTIVES…
Back in the steaming changing rooms, the players were in good spirits as they all discussed their plans for their short break. Henderson was talking about the big surprise he and his wife had bought their daughters; whilst Sturridge was boasting about wooing his girl this festive season. They all shared their plans before the team’s attention fell onto their goalkeeper. “So, Simon, you gonna pull a Studge and sweep Charlotte of her feet?” Ibe asked from his place next to the Belgian, who just chuckled at his question. But before he could reply, Lucas cut in.
“No! Mignolet is a hopeless romantic kind of guy.” The Brazilian turned to the subject of conversation “instead of going out to some fancy restaurant, you are going to give her a wonderful evening in and cook her a romantic dinner, no?” This time, Mignolet broke out into a full blown laugh, along with the other men in the room.
“Actually, you aren’t wrong. Am I that obvious?” he asked them all with an embarrassed grin as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Nah, you're just a nice guy.” Lallana replied as he dried off his hair with a towel.
“I’ll take that. Although the only way I’m making this a surprise is because I told Charlotte that we were all going out tonight and I wouldn’t get back until late. I’m hoping she’ll be happy when I show up-“
“With a bouquet of flowers! Because Migs doesn’t do anything half arsed.” Henderson called out, filling the room with more rumbling laughter
“Yes, yes.”
“So how are things with you two. Its been a couple of years now. Thinking about popping the question?” The captain continued. Mignolet just sighed before replying
“I have been thinking about it. I just want to make sure it’s what she wants.” Seeing the keeper’s dilemma, James Milner decided to help his friend out. He did his best to reach up and place a supportive hand on the towering Belgian’s shoulder.
“Simon, Just talk to her. Trust me, we’ve all been there and women never drop hints we can pick up on. But if you ask her then she’ll give you a straight answer. Once you know how she feels about it, then you can make a decision about whether or not she’s the one.” Milner advised his team mate. Always the wise voice amongst the young players.
“The Millie love advice centre is open and ready for business!” Sturridge shouted out.
As he laughed, Mignolet thought over what Milner said. He could see the sense in the man’s words. Unfortunately, it went against one of Simon’s biggest traits. The Belgian over thought everything, on and off the pitch. Especially with something as big as a proposal, he wanted to make it unique and special but he didn’t even know where Charlotte was when it came to their relationship. Perhaps he should stop overthinking it all and just ask her straight up if she wanted to marry him. That way he would have an answer and then he could work on making the actual proposal a memorable night for them both.
“That’s not a bad idea. I think I might try talking to her tonight about it.” Mignolet replied
“Atta boy! To be honest, I still can’t believe that out of all of us, you are one of the ones that isn’t married.” The captain of the team added. A few more laughs came out at that comment, it was a rather common joke between them. They would always tease Mignolet on how he’s getting old and needs to get hitched before he’s living alone in Belgium with 20 cats.
NEW PERSPECTIVES…
Just as the laughs were dying down, someone called into the changing rooms from outside. “Guys! You better be decent because I’m coming in.” it was of course Jennifer Ford. After a few shouts of ‘yeah it’s clear’ and ‘We’re ready for you baby’, the woman rolled her eyes and entered the changing rooms.
“Damn, and people say women take a long time to get ready.” Jen said with a smirk as she looked at Henderson and Can doing their hair with their infamous gel in hand. She then looked back at the rest of the group. “So, what’s got you lot laughing so hard?” she questioned
“Simon’s overthinking everything again. We just gave him the push to talk to Charlotte about becoming Mrs Mignolet.” Lallana answered with an innocent smile as he shut his metal locker and shouldered his training bag.
“Seriously? That’s fantastic, Mignolet. I’m really happy for you!” the young physio exclaimed before hugging the goalkeeper. With a small smile, he returned the gesture.
“Thanks, but don’t get too excited. I haven’t even asked her yet and you lot are already planning my wedding.”
“Aw come on Simon, you’re a catch, there's no way she’ll turn you down.” Jen replied
“Yeah mate, she has a point. I mean if you weren't taken, I think I'd have married you myself.” Clyne added with a suggestive look and waggiling eyebrows to which even Jen couldn’t contain her laughter at.
“Right… Well I think I’d better go before this gets even weirder. Merry Christmas to you all.” Simon told his team mates before leaving the changing room. With a smile, Benteke wished the group the same thing before jogging to catch up with his fellow Belgian.
Eventually, the rest of the team managed to get ready and tame the hair they all took so much pride in. Well, except Martin of course.
Quickly, Lallana ran one last hand through his dark locks before looking back at the young physio. “Jen, you ready to go?”
“Yep. Thanks again for the lift, Ads.” She replied
“Not a problem. Right lads, we’re off. Merry Christmas.” Lallana called to his friends who all replied with the standard festive message.
“Have fun boys. But remember we have the match on boxing day so no getting too pissed, alright?” Jen told the men with a motherly tone.
“Yes Mum. We’ll remember!” Ibe shouted back. Shaking her head with a smile, Jen followed Adam out to his car.
NEW PERSPECTIVES…
For Jen and Adam, the walk out to the car was a bitter one because somehow the temperature had dropped a few more degrees, in the past half hour, to below freezing. The cold air turned every breath into a cloud of smoke in front of their faces and the tips of their ears felt like they were freezing over. Thankfully, the pair quickly made it to the parking space, reserved for the player who adorned the number 20 on their back, and clambered into the car which awaited them.
Now, Adam Lallana wasn’t one of the flashiest guys out there. He never wore brands just to get attention or to one up his team mates, or even his rivals. He just bought stuff for the quality and look and considered the name afterwards. He was always careful with money, despite his job, since he’d just been brought up that way. So he wasn’t much of a show off. However, when it came to cars, well the man had good taste. With Adam’s steadily growing family he and the wife had decided to fork out on a SUV and purchased a Mercedes Benz AMG GL, in white. The leather interior was high end, the 21” aliminum wheels were monstorous, and the tech inside of the car was top of the range. All in all, the car was beautiful and Jen was sure to tell her friend every time she set foot in the vehicle.
When they both were settled in they watched as Mignolet and Benteke’s cars pulled out of the Melwood car park and off onto the road. Just as Lallana turned the key, Jen faced him. “Onwards my trusty chaufer, to the mystical land of car repairs and stale coffee!” the woman cheered in a posh accent which earned her a strange look and a laugh from her longtime friend.
“As you command, fair maiden!” Adam played along with a stupid grin on his face whilst he eased his car out of the parking spot. Soon they were past the few fans that hung around Melwood during training hours and were on the road. The bitter weather outside forced the pair to have the car’s heating turned up almost to it’s full strength. The roaring from the warming fans drowned out the sound of the road disappearing beneath them and the pair settled into a comfortable silence. Literally, a comfortable silence, Jen was pretty sure she could fall asleep in the passenger seat with the way it was hugging the warmth to her body.
“Hey Jen, I think it might be time for a car upgrade.” Adam said breaking the silence. A little randomly if she was being honest.
“Trust me, I know. That bloody thing’s been in and out of the garage too much lately.” She sighed at the though of her rust bucket of a car.
“Well, you definitely can afford it. Why don’t you go get that mustang you’ve been drooling over for the past couple years? Treat yourself to a Christmas present you know you’ll love.” He replied. He definitely wasn’t wrong. She’d seen this mustang in a Ford show room once and feel in love with the thing in a matter of seconds. She’d always been a car nut but she hadn’t really looked at cars since she’s always had her old Camaro from her granddad. But when she said old, she really meant old. There was a fine line between vintage and just too old to function and unfortunately, Jen’s car had crossed the line into un-driveable.
It was a sad realisation. Growing up, that car had been her life. She’d done the thing up with her dad as a kid and when she was finally old enough her old man chucked her the keys and she’d driven it ever since.
“If I’m being honest, I just don’t know if I have it in me to spend God knows how much on a flashy car.” Jen sighed whilst looking out onto the road
“You sure you’re not just being stubborn and trying to hold onto the old thing? Come on Jen, you need something that acutally drives but that doesn’t mean you have to sell the Camaro. I love that thing about as much as you do. Keep it in the garage for a rainy day or something. You can even use it as a lawn ornament but I think it’s time for some change, don’t you?” Adam replied, trying to advise his friend.
“Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right.” She relented. Thinking it over, Lallana wasn’t wrong, she needed to move on from her crappy motor.
“Aren’t I always?” he questioned with a smirk which resulted in the woman rolling her eyes but mirroring his smirk. “Hey do you remember years ago, back when I was at Southampton u21’s, that the time you came to pick me up from training on my birthday and we went for that drive near the river?” the player asked as he returned his attention to the road.
It took her a while but the memory suddenly clicked and the physio turned to her friend. “Oh yeah! It’d just stopped raining and you insisted that we put the roof down.”
“Yeah and then that lorry came speeding down the road and straight through a giant puddle. We got soaked right down to the bone.” Adam chuckled at the memory.
“I didn’t get the smell of that water out of my hair for days.” Jen added before joining in with the laughter.
Smiling Jen thought back on those times and on the older boy with floppy brown hair and a goofy smile who never left her side as a kid. Jen and Adam went to the same Catholic schools growing up and became inseparable despite the three years age gap. Well that was up until he finally followed his dream of going into football. Even now, Jen could’t believe how far that boy had come. A little kid from Bournemouth with nothing but his determination, skills and dreams; somehow, he managed to become one of the best players in one of the premier league’s top teams. And despite being separated for so many years, the two friends eventually found each other at Liverpool and half the time Jen couldn’t believe her luck.
NEW PERSPECTIVES…
Eventually, the Physio and footballer reached the garage where Jen bid farewell to her friend and was finally able to make her own way home.
When the woman pulled into the driveway she was rather glad, it’d been a long six weeks of her being head physio and she was going to savour her few days off. After unlocking the oak front door, Jen pulled her black Liverpool windcheater from her shoulders and tossed her keys onto the sideboard, to her right in the hallway. Jen’s house wasn’t the largest in her neighbourhood but it definitely wasn’t box standard. It was full of modern décor, a brand new designer kitchen and three bedrooms with full ensuites. Given the nature of her job, Jen made quite a bit of money, obviously not as much as the players at Liverpool, but just enough to keep her comfortable. However, the only way to afford the house she lived in was to split the bills and have a housemate. That’s where her friend Persephone came in.
The pair had met at University, though both interested in very different career paths, they became quick friends and Jen couldn’t be more grateful for that. Sephy worked as a highly paid Forensic Psychologist. If Jen was being honest, she still didn’t understand a word of what the woman said to her about her job but she nodded along whenever her friend needed to share.
Walking further into her home, Jen made her way to the kitchen to grab some food from one of her cupboards. However, the woman stopped in her tracks when she noticed a piece of paper on the black kitchentop. Jen changed direction and went for the letter; she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as she read the rushed note ‘Jen, won’t be around tonight, Tom asked me if I wanted to go to that party thing with him finally! So I said yeah (well does a disbelieved mhmm count?) idk. Anyway, I’d say don’t wait up but I know you’ll be hogging the tv all night anyway. See you whenever – Sephy’ Shaking her head at her friend, the physio, who was too lazy to change, went ahead with her plan to grab a load of food and sit by the tv and watch a load of sappy Christmas movies until she fell asleep or Sephy came home. Perfect evening in if she said so herself.
Just as Jennifer was dosing, her buzzing phone made her jump. Grabbing the offending device, she checked the lockscreen to find that a message had come through on the LFC group chat. Yes, yes they have a group chat, as sad as it is, the whole team were a unit and it was a great way to keep in touch over breaks and to take the piss out of each other.
Adam Lallana
- Hey lads! Check out what Arthur drew today. I think it’s gonna make all your stone cold hearts melt.
After the introductory message, a picture came through of a slightly crumpled piece of A4 paper. On it, was a drawing which mainly consisted of red pencil. It was of course the LFC team, in stickman form. They all stood in a line with their brightly coloured red shirts, except for Mignolet who was given a black shirt, which held each of their numbers on the front and a few misspelled last names. And on the very top of the piece of paper were two shakily written words, my heroes.
Jordan Henderson
- Damn Ads. You got a prodigy there
Jordon Ibe
- I bet Skrts and Mama are sitting there right now with tears in their eyes
Martin Skrtel
-it’s true. It’s just too much
Lucas Leiva
-I can’t believe it. It only took a couple of stick men to break him!? I could’ve done that years ago!!! XD
Nathaniel Clyne
- Hey! Why aren’t I on it?!
Daniel Sturridge
-WAYYYYYYYYY!! Clyney wasn’t important enough to go on the kiddy drawing! XD
Nathaniel Clyne
-I’m fucking wounded! Ads your kid needs to get his priorities straight! He even remembered the gaffer and Jen!
Jennifer Ford
-Damn right the kid remembered me! Got a problem with it Nathaniel?!? ;-)
Nathaniel Clyne
-Ugh, it creeps me out when you use my first name o_O
Adam Lallana
-Aw cut the kid some slack Clyney, he’s four XD I don’t think it was his master plan to offend you
Dejan Lovren
- As cute as it is, i’m pretty sure I’m not number 7 XD
James Milner
-I’m now called Loferene
Adam Lallana
- You’re idiots the lot of you :-D. And Clyne, Arty says sorry! He’s adding you to it now ;-)
Nathaniel Clyne
-Tell him he can make it up to me by making me taller than everyone else :-(
This was them, the real people behind the members of Liverpool. Off the pitch, far from work, away from the prying eyes of the press. The side of themselves only a choice few ever got to see since people always seemed to forget that football players were people. To many they are just objects to be sold, bought and loaned to clubs. Machines that were supposed to be perfect and win every game. Unfortunately, that was a view that just wouldn’t change. But times like these made it that much easier for the players because as long as they remember that they’re just normal people then it helps them keep their heads that little bit higher during interviews, makes them run that little bit harder during a game. Jen knew this and she couldn’t be happier to be a part of their lives, both on and off that pitch.
With that thought in mind, Jen locked her phone and returned to watching what had just come on the television set. Slowly, she began to dose off to the sounds of Peter Griffin and his family going about their usual antics.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope it was alright. Sorry for all the random information that doesn't really relate to the team, but I’ve used this chapter to give you some background info on my OC. The next few chapters will be mainly Mignolet and Jen but once we get back into the season then things will be very club heavy. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :-)