Maddox felt a surge of old-school anger. He had seen coaches like that in his previous life, men who valued their own ego over the development of talent.
"Declan, look at me," Maddox commanded.
The boy raised his head.
"Kingston United made a terrible mistake," Maddox said firmly. "A massive one. They saw a player who could think for himself and they tried to break him. Here, I don't want robots. I want creators. Yes, we have a tactical system, but that system is designed to give you the platform to be brilliant. When you cut inside against Hastings, you weren't being selfish. You were being a winner."
Maddox stood up and walked around the desk. He put a hand on Declan's shoulder. "I am telling you right now: your 'attitude' is not a problem for me. Your fear of making mistakes is the problem. From now on, if you try a dribble and lose the ball, I won't scream at you. I'll only get angry if you stop trying that dribble."
