In 2007, a 7-year old boy joined the youth academy of Watford – his footballing idol was none other than the Brazilian legend Ronaldinho and he rooted for Chelsea in the Premier League. Jadon Sancho the Manchester City graduate has been sublime for Dortmund this season too. Despite a slow start in the league the winger picked up form towards the end and would be ending his season as a DFB Pokal winner. Sancho would be hoping he can show his magic at Euro 2020 too.
Due to travelling issues because of the vast distance between his home and the Watford academy, he was taken in at the accommodation provided by the Hornets to budding football players who were part of their youth academy.
Eight years later that very boy decided to join Manchester City’s academy, but after two years he was of the opinion that he needed a change of scenery. The boy’s name is Jadon Malik Sancho
SANCHO’S BUILDING YEARS
Hence, he joined German club Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 and was immediately given a place in the first team squad. He later admitted that a move to Germany didn’t faze him as he had previous positive experiences when he relocated to Watford and Manchester in England.
On 14 January 2018, he made his first league start for Dortmund and hit the woodwork in a match with Wolfsburg. And it was the start of a new epoch for both Sancho and Die Borussen in Europe.
The Englishman then signed a contract that would keep him at the Westfalenstadion until 2022 and began an upward trajectory at both club and international level.
Even though, he wasn’t selected by Gareth Southgate for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, he will be expected to essay a starring role at this summer’s European Championship on home soil.
England have no dearth of attacking talent amongst its ranks, nevertheless Sancho will be a key component of Gareth Southgate’s squad at UEFA Euro 2020 if the Three Lions harbour aspirations of lifting a maiden Euro title on home soil (the Wembley Stadium)
SANCHO PIVOTAL FOR ENGLAND THIS SUMMER
The Three Lions have an immense wealth of attacking talent, from Harry Kane and Jack Grealish to Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, from Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford to Mason Mount and Mason Greenwood.
But it will be a gross understatement if one says that Sancho isn’t pivotal in Southgate’s set-up this summer for England. The Borussia Dortmund winger has attributes and qualities that are unmatched by other members of the England squad
He possesses the ability to play as a second striker as and when the situation demands it, thus helping out Harry Kane in attack for the Three Lions. And apart from playing as a winger, he can also function as a wide midfielder.
All these features of his game when combined with his trickery on the pitch, lightning fast acceleration on the ball and use of dummies/feints to hoodwink opposition midfielders and defenders make him probably one of the most important members of the English contingent this summer.
The Three Lions have been drafted in Group D along with neighbours Scotland, Croatia and Czech Republic and given their squad depth and quality this time around, Southgate will be aiming to finish top of the group.
But this will require England to emerge victorious in all their group stage matches. And therefore they will have to rely on the likes of Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, but young players like Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho will be key to unlocking opposition defences when the above-mentioned duo require assistance from others.
MANCHESTER UNITED HOPING TO LAND SANCHO THIS SUMMER
At club level too Sancho is quite popular as Manchester United have been perpetual suitors for the 21-year old’s signature on a long-term contract. Reports emerged recently that the Red Devils were planning to use Jesse Lingard as a makeweight in a deal for the former Manchester City player. United had first tried to sign him four years ago when he decided to leave the Sky Blues, but couldn’t execute the move as Sancho left for abroad.
They renewed their pursuit of the Englishman in 2019, but to no avail as he decided to stay in North-Rhine Westphalia and the same course of events unfolded last summer as Manchester United were unable to sign the former Watford player.
But in the four years that Sancho has spent in Germany, he has been successful in building a regular place for himself in the starting line-up in Dortmund. Since the start of 2020, he has formed a formidable partnership with Norwegian forward Erling Haaland.
Both of them scored a brace in Dortmund’s win over RB Leipzig in the German Cup final this month.
Words can’t describe this feeling! 🏆 @DFB_Pokal WINNERS! This is for you guys @BVB pic.twitter.com/j8ujmcMQpm
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) May 14, 2021
Apart from the Norwegian, Sancho has a great understanding with fellow England international Jude Bellingham and American midfielder Gio Reyna.
The quartet of Sancho, Haaland, Bellingham and Reyna will be instrumental in the near future for Dortmund as they bid to win the German league from arch-rivals Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade next season.
Similarly, Sancho will be essential for Gareth Southgate and England to win their first ever Euro title on home soil this summer.
And with the amount of depth that England have in almost every position on the pitch, they might just go all the way this summer