Nolan and Dawson stood just off the touchline, arms loosely folded as the session carried on.
The sound of studs cutting across the grass and shouts from players filled the gap between Dawson's last instruction and the small patterns that were forming on the pitch.
In play, Leo picked up a loose pass on the far side, rolled his shoulder to slip past one player, then used a soft heel touch to wrong-foot another before sliding the ball between two defenders.
It wasn't flashy for the sake of it.
It just looked unavoidable, like the series of movements that had just happened had all played in his mind before this.
Nolan let out a short breath and shook his head.
"He's getting better every day," he murmured. "Even with the second group, he's running circles around the starters."
Dawson didn't look surprised.
"He's hungry," he said. "And he actually likes football. Not the idea of being a footballer. The sport itself. It's nice to see guys like him getting the chance."
