On August 26, 2023, English left midfielder Jadon Sancho from Manchester United came off the bench against Nottingham. His team won 3-2. This turned out to be the last time he was seen on a football field. Indeed, a few days after this victory, following a match against Arsenal, his Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag, who had not played him, stated in a press conference that Jadon had had a poor week of training and did not deserve to be part of the team. Jadon criticized his coach on social media, marking the beginning of the end for him.
The story had, however, started beautifully for this player of Trinidadian origin, born on March 25, 2000, in a working-class neighborhood of London. As a child, he played for the professional club Watford FC and joined the Manchester City academy at the age of 14. He quickly made a strong impression, but the coach of the first team, the Spanish Pep Guardiola, never selected him. Dissatisfied with this situation, Sancho decided to move to Germany, joining Borussia Dortmund.
In his first season at Dortmund, he only played in 12 matches. Nevertheless, he managed to score 1 goal and provided 4 assists. The following two seasons were incredible for him. In 2018/2019, he scored 12 goals and made 14 assists. In 2019/2020, he performed even better with 17 goals and 16 assists. He was by far the most decisive player on his team. The decline began in 2020/2021, where he only scored 8 goals and contributed with 11 assists. Not too concerned by this dip in form, Manchester United decided to recruit him in the summer of 2021.
Bad idea. The return of the lively Englishman to his home country did not go well at all. In terms of statistics, his best season is the second one with 6 goals and 3 assists. In the current season, he has only played 77 minutes and achieved nothing. His coach has sidelined him and refused to give him more playing time, primarily due to his lack of efficiency but especially because of his poor behavior. Lack of commitment, training delays, disrespectful statements—The Red Devils are delighted to send him back on loan for six month to his former club.
It will be interesting to see whether the familiar atmosphere of BVB will or will not help him regain his form. As football fans, we all hope that this big prospect delights us again with his speed and classy moves. We hope for the same with Timo Werner, a similar rising star who has lost his form in England and is returning to Germany this winter to rejuvenate his career.
