Borussia Dortmund's English sensation is making his case for a starting spot

So far this season, Jamie Gittens has been the breakout sensation at Borussia Dortmund. This 20-year-old English winger has started his year quite impressively, proving that he is far more than just a luxury sub. With his clutch goals and dazzling skills, Gittens has won over fans and his teammates alike. What does he bring to the table, and why is his impact getting so much hype?

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The first thing that impresses one about Gittens is his efficiency: in just 121 minutes played this season, he's scored four goals. But it is not about the quantity-it is about the quality of those goals: every time, at a crucial moment, he came off the bench and changed the course of the game. And how he does it is very impressive.

During the Champions League match, he replaced another player in the 68th minute and changed the match immediately. This winger sealed the win for Dortmund with two back-to-back goals. What is even more interesting is that he copied precisely what he had performed during the first round in the Bundesliga, when he scored two almost identical goals against Eintracht Frankfurt, coming off the bench.

That was the pattern of both goals: Gittens receiving the ball on the left side of the box, beating his defender with rapid touches, and finishing accurately into the far corner. The move-the wiry lone striker said he works on religiously-just became his signature and seemed rather impossible for defenders to stop.

The "Super Sub" effect

What stands out about Gittens is not so much the technique, but in the mentality. He had fulfilled a role many players would hate: a substitute. Not only has he embraced being a substitute, but made this positive. "The coach asked me to make a difference when I came on. I've practiced that move plenty of times," Gittens said following his Champions League triumph. And that he did.

So far, his goals have come at a surreal rate-one every 30 minutes on average. Julian Brandt, his teammate, emphasized after the Brugge match: "The subs decided the game." Marcel Sabitzer was more to the point: "Gittens won the game for us.".

It's not about coming off the bench and providing energy or fresh legs; it's the confidence he brings and composure he's showing in those big moments. That's probably why, already, Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl has labeled him "nearly impossible to defend" when he's in the box.

What's next for Gittens?

Now, the challenge for Jamie Gittens is to maintain this level of consistency while working his way into gathering more minutes under Nuri Şahin. His trajectory has already started drawing parallels with some of the best young talents to come out of Borussia Dortmund-a club fabled for nurturing rising stars. But Gittens seems to be doing things his way, working on a solid career and into a starting role.

It is still early to tell whether he will get promoted to starting for good. This is a Dortmund full of top forwards, and Gittens himself appears content playing the role of "secret weapon," but performances like this make it hard to see him on that bench for a longer period.

What separates Gittens from

Football is full of up-and-coming youngsters, but Gittens brings something different to the table. The way he can dribble past defenders with ease and can finish with calmness-the constant threat, even on limited minutes on the pitch. The confidence with which he takes on defenders, looking for a one-on-one battle, is one of the key attributes that make him a different asset in Dortmund's squad.

In a world where so many of the young players are reliant upon raw speed or power, Gittens combines skill with a cool head, and that's what makes him different.