The winger first appeared on the international stage at 18, following an impressive rise with Borussia Dortmund, but his once-promising career seems to have stalled
Manchester United relentlessly chased Jadon Sancho to include him in their club for years. And who could blame them? This attacking midfielder is a once-a-generation talent, and soon after departing the English Premier League, searching for a new football club to call his home, he shook up the German Football League, averaging more than a goal contribution in every game for Borussia Dortmund.
After tracking him from 2018 and outmaneuvering a move in 2019 that had to do with his transfer fee, United finally got him to sign on as their winger in July 2021, paying a staggering £74 million for an England regular and one of the most sought-after soccer players in Europe to date. But in only two years’ time, Sancho went from being the biggest name in English football to being a sports specter.
He was missing from the United’s starting lineup for almost the entire sports season back in 2022, and when the fans were hopeful upon his return, he gave a rather disappointing performance, looking shorn of the pace, power, and invention that had made him such a thrilling prospect. His appearance in three of United’s opening games for the 2023-24 season was relegated to a cameo role, which was worse than the team’s mascot’s screen time, then he was nowhere to be found from among the squad when they faced off with Arsenal.
The general consensus is that he had suffered an injury; however, Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, made a shocking announcement after the game when asked about Sancho’s absence.
“On his performance on training, we didn’t select him,” he said. “You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn’t selected.”
This did not sit well with Sancho, as he immediately gave a response, and claimed that had been made “a scapegoat for a long time.” Sancho didn’t hold back, and he didn’t mince words in giving his side of the story, although it was quite liberating to see him defend himself for once. For a considerable time, it has seemed as though his career hit a standstill, and the passion he once possessed has dimmed.
Growing Up in the London Suburbs
Sancho is a product of Kennington, South London, as this was his birthplace and hometown. The southern region of the Kingdom’s capital city has become a footballing hotbed in the last decade, and there’s even a 2021 study that confirms this, showing that about 10% of the players who are in the Premier League are from this 10-mile stretch area below the River Thames. Joe Gomez, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eberechi Eze, and Tammy Abraham are just a few to mention here. Sancho is the young blood that hailed from the unforgiving concrete pitches dotted around the area, known as cages, and he was the area’s number 1 football star.
Sancho Received His Education at Watford
Sancho’s first experience with real football was not from the south of the river, despite having been born and raised there up to the age of seven. No, he actually received organized football training from Watford, where he honed his skills all the way up until he was 15. Though he departed before becoming a professional, he cherishes the memories from his days with the Hornets.
“Watford was a lot of fun,” Sancho told United’s website in 2022. “I was happy when I was there, and I had a lot of freedom when I was playing. That’s what makes me happy and makes me the best player I can be when I’m just free, doing what I love. At Watford, I used to work on a lot of skills, and I wanted to show people what I can do.”
Moving to the Other Side of Manchester
Sancho’s football prodigy caused him to become a local celebrity in the UK overnight, and it wasn’t long before talent agents from Manchester City started making phone calls. Sancho said moving to the Blues “was a good opportunity to get out of the hood. There were a lot of bad influences.” Sancho was of the same age (under 18) as his Foden and current Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz when he started his professional football career. But he has always been on the lookout for a chance to be drafted in a first-team football. At the time when Pep Guardiola ditched him for the pre-season tour of the United States in 2017, but included Foden in the squad; Sancho showed his disappointment by refusing to attend training.
Switching Teams to Borussia Dortmund
While Guardiola downplayed Sancho’s talents, this did not sit well with the winger, who immediately sought a move. Fortunately for him, Borussia Dortmund was willing to take him in, especially since his skills are top-notch. He was drafted into the team for £8 million in the summer of 2017, putting him straight into the first-team squad.
Sancho’s faith in his abilities was eventually rewarded when he made his first-team debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. He made an impression with his first goal, scoring a 4-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen in April 2018 – a known local rival, Sancho was able to make two more in that day.
England Debut Aged 18
During his tenure with Dortmund, Sancho’s performances could not be ignored, and Gareth Southgate spared no time to get him into the England squad by October of 2018, making his debut off the bench in the 0-0 draw against Croatia when he replaced Raheem Sterling during the UEFA Nations League. At the time, he was only 18 years and 200 days old; he became the 7th youngest England debutant of all time. Today he ranks as the 9th youngest football player in England.
Scoring in the Champions League
No more than 2 weeks had passed after his England bow, Sancho was able to make another impression – scoring his first Champions League goal. Sancho’s victims were the Atletico Madrid, and his team Dortmund was already leading up by 2 points to zero versus their opponents by the time he came off the bench, further stretching their lead in a 4-0 against Diego Simeone’s squad.
An Impressive Performance
In his season debut, Sancho made so many great performances, and his next goal is so much better than the previous one. He ended the season with 12 goals in the Bundesliga and 18 assists, plus he also bagged one score each in the Champions League. However, his succeeding campaign was even more remarkable.
When Dortmund faced off against Manchester City, it was Sancho versus Erling Haaland in the field; Sacho proved he was the better athlete when he scored 17 times for his team, putting him among the top three goalscorers in the Bundesliga that season; Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner occupies the top 2 spots. He also averaged more than the standard goal contribution per match when he provided 17 assists.
Signing Off with a Trophy
He won his first major trophy during the DFB-Pokal final match in May 2021 when Dortmund beat RB Leipzig 4-1. Sancho shined as the star of the show, scoring twice, while Haaland being the other player to make the 2 goals. Yet, despite his achievements, it cost him his career at Dortmund, and unfortunately, there were no fans in the stadium to provide him with support due to coronavirus restrictions.
“I can’t thank the people in charge at Borussia Dortmund enough for the chance they gave me as a very young player,” Sancho said when he eventually left Dortmund. “At BVB I was able to mature into the player I am today. The DFB Cup win last season was a great end to my time at BVB. But I will always remember the support and love of the incredible fans as something special.”
Being with Manchester United at Last!
Manchester United had been eyeing Sancho for over a year before finally succeeding in taking off of Dortmund’s hands in July 2021, with United having to pay Bundesliga a hefty £74 million fee. Note that Sancho had also previously joined Manchester City football club prior, but he said he had always admired the Red Devils.
“Growing up, Manchester United was one of the biggest clubs that everyone knows, and of course, there is also all the trophies they’ve won, and there have been many iconic players that have come before me,” he said. “So I’m very happy to be wearing this jersey now.”
Underperforming in the Euro 2020 Final
While Sancho was present in Euro 2020, playing a small role for England; however, his tournament did not end in stunning victory like it did before. It was quite the disaster, as he was brought on late in extra-time in the final against Italy at Wembley, causing him to miss his spot-kick during the penalty they got, and his team was defeated.
To add insult to the injury, he and his teammate, Marcus Rashford, as well as Arsenal’s right winger Bukayo Saka all suffered online abuse from their own fans. Apparently, the fans were unhappy with the defeat of the English football clubs.
Tough First Season with United
Sancho was overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock return to Old Trafford at a time when fans were expecting him to become United’s next football superstar when he signed on in the summer of 2021. Furthermore, United suffered one of their worst ever seasons in the Premier League, which caused Sancho to also struggle to adapt to his new squad. United finished in sixth place and scored their lowest points total in 30 years. That season also proved to be difficult for individual team members because even Sancho, being the best among them, only scored 3 times in the league.
Making an Impressive Comeback
When his second campaign with United started, Sancho suddenly performed like the money United spent to acquire his talent – £74 million. He started off with a brilliant goal in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, then in the next match defeated Leicester, while winning the match against Sheriff in the Europa League.
“He understands now he has to invest in the physical, and that is what he did, and now he can get the reward, and that is what he has to bring. I’m sure it’s the start for him,” said a delighted Ten Hag. “With his potential, there’s much more room for improvement; he can be even more important and contribute with his creativity and scoring goals and assists.”
Removed from the Squad
However, as the season progressed, Sancho’s performance dwindled and eventually faded, as he had less and less contribution to the team. United’s manager, Ten Hag, realized there was a problem, and he immediately took action by removing him from the squad and had him undergo an individual training program, in order to get him back in optimal performance again.
“When the league started, he played some good games, but after we got a drop of levels. Sometimes you don’t know why or what is causing it,” the Dutchman said. “Most of the time, it comes slowly. First, you observe, but the stats back it up. At the start of the season, he had goals and assists, but his key moments and key actions became less and less. It’s a combination of physical but also mental.”
A Triumphant Return but Only at First
In February 2023, Sancho finally returned to the United team, which got fans aroused as he made his comeback against Nottingham Forest. He made some notable social media posts on how grateful he was: “Wow! Just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support I’ve received over the past few weeks, especially to the fans. My focus is to give my all to my team and the club; I’m so happy to be back out on the pitch; see you soon.”
Sancho quickly reminded people who he was by scoring against Leeds and netting 3 goals against Leicester. However, his revival suffered an unfortunate setback yet again, and by the end of the season, he only scored twice in the last 3 months.
Falling Out with Ten Hag
During their U.S. tour, Sancho was deployed as a false nine and was heavily involved in pre-season. But for some unknown reasons (or probably due to his previous poor performance), he was not included in the starting line-up for the Premier League season opener against Wolves. He was also missing in the follow-up matches between United and Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, and his only appearance was off the bench, which was odd.
Sancho was less than pleased with how the team’s manager handled him, and in fact, it had sparked an open conflict with Ten Hag. The Dutchman is neither afraid nor shows respect to his rebellious players, even with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, and so he hasn’t held back against Sancho as well.
The road back to glory for Sancho is filled with potholes and detours that it seems unclear whether or not he’ll be able to recover from his fall. If he eventually slips back into his poor performance showings, sports commentators, the fans, and even United’s stakeholders will view this as a huge transfer mistake. Hopefully, Sancho will recover from his failures and be as progressive as his other teammate – Ronaldo.
Recommended Reading: Lionel Messi and the Magic He Brings
