The young Dortmund star has yet to start a game in league play for the German giants, but despite that, he leads Europe’s top five leagues with five assists.
Jadon Sancho has yet to even feature for England’s U21 squad, but he’s earned a call-up to England’s senior national team, Gareth Southgate announced on Thursday. He will be available for England in their doubleheader against Spain and Croatia next weekend in UEFA Nations League play.
Sancho made the move over to Dortmund last year from Manchester City, scoring once and tallying an assist in his first year in senior football. The 18-year old has looked spectacular this season so far for Borussia Dortmund, making six appearances and playing just 124 minutes, scoring once and registering five assists in that span.
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In fact, every player behind him in the assists leaders table has played almost three times as many minutes. Lionel Messi and Dimitri Payet both have four assists this year respectively, and they have played around 500-600 minutes this season. Sancho has played a measly 124 minutes which isn’t even the equivalent to two full games, yet he’s been so instrumental.
Dortmund has so many outstanding players on the attack so it makes sense why he has yet to start a Bundesliga game, but given his form this season, it’ll be sooner rather than later that we will see Sancho starting for Borussia Dortmund in league play.
Sancho has gotten two starts in Champions League competition though, including Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Monaco in group stage play. Sancho tallied another assist in the victory.
The numbers speak for themselves this year, and it’s not hard to understand why Southgate called him up. How could Sancho fit in with England? Let’s take a look.
How Sancho fits in with England
Sancho is a serious threat on the flanks, showing the versatility to play on the left and right. He’s got an amazing first touch on the ball and has the speed and skill to constantly create chances in the final third. England has struggled to find quality out wide for a while now.
Raheem Sterling has played out there but is more of a striker than a winger. Sancho is a true winger who can be a mainstay for England for many years to come. Obviously, he is very young still and probably won’t be a starter for the Three Lions for a couple years, but he is blessed with all the attributes needed to excel out there and has proven so in one of the best leagues in the world in the Bundesliga.
He’s a hard-working player who never gives up on a play and he really does have an extremely high ceiling. The way Sancho is playing right now is very impressive, but the best is yet to come. More goals will come as he finds more playing time with Dortmund.
It’s rare to find a player who can score goals but also act as a playmaker, and that’s exactly what Jadon Sancho has shown he can do. His selflessness with the ball really speaks to his character.
Dortmund is the right place for him to develop
Sancho could have stayed with Man City, and hoped he would see playing time under Pep Guardiola’s side. Chances are that wouldn’t have happened, considering the type of experienced players City has. Going to Dortmund was the best decision Sancho could have made. They have a history of developing future stars, such as Robert Lewandowski, or just simply developing players and giving them the chance to play, like Michy Batshuayi last season.
Even though Sancho isn’t playing the full 90 every match, he’s making the most out of the opportunities he’s been given.
It’s only a matter of time until Jadon Sancho will be a regular starter for Dortmund, and in just a couple years, or even less; starring for his country as well.