da 888casino： The Manchester United outcast has given a timely reminder of what he can do on the biggest stage, and he could be worth the risk for the Three Lions
da betobet： The task of picking a 26-man England squad for the European Championship will have been difficult enough for Gareth Southgate given the wealth of talent at his disposal, but a resurgent Jadon Sancho will have given him another headache. Having put a miserable spell at Manchester United behind him, the winger has rediscovered his confidence back on his old stomping ground on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Granted, the 24-year-old has not hit the heights of the season that convinced United to shell out £73 million ($93m) to take him to Old Trafford in 2021, with a fairly modest return of three goals and three assists since returning to Germany, but he has caught the eye when it mattered most.
Sancho's outstanding Champions League semi-final display against Paris Saint-Germain will surely be lingering in the back of Southgate's mind when he sits down to finalise his selection, and there is a case to be made for him to go to Euro 2024 as a wildcard option. Under the lights at Signal Iduna Park, he looked like a man hell-bent on proving a point.
GettyChampions League masterclass
The main reason Sancho may have squeezed back into the frame for a place in Southgate's squad is a masterful individual performance on club football's biggest stage; with the world watching as favourites Paris Saint-Germain arrived in town for a Champions League semi-final first leg on May 1, Sancho was immense.
The winger tormented his full-back Nuno Mendes all night long, completing the most dribbles by an English player in the Champions League since 's records began (12). He became the first player since Lionel Messi in 2008 to complete more than 11 take-ons in a Champions League semi-final, and he won the most duels (13) and created the most chances (three).
Underdogs Dortmund would go on to win the game 1-0 and completed the job in Paris to reach an unlikely Champions League final, where Sancho will have an incredible opportunity to prove his worth to his country in colossal encounter that will be played out under the Wembley arch. His semi-final first-leg display is one that put the world on notice, and Southgate must surely have been impressed.
AdvertisementGetty'Game by game'
Sancho predictably wasn't called up for England's March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, in what was Southgate's final opportunity to analyse the players available to him before picking his 26-man squad for the European Championship.
That omission was considered to be telling for Sancho and the other overlooked players on the fringes of the Three Lions setup, with Southgate usually hesitant to spring a surprise or take a big risk when it comes to decision time.
The Manchester United loanee will know, then, that his chances of sneaking onto the plane to Germany are slim, but he isn't giving up hope. Asked about his Euro 2024 hopes after running the show against PSG in Dortmund, he said: "I take it game by game and performances like today I hope it carries on."
Getty ImagesMonumental failure
However, Sancho's failed spell at United and acrimonious exit could feasibly override any of the good work he has done during his return to Dortmund, with Southgate likely acutely aware of his history of indiscipline.
The attacker underwhelmed massively in his debut season at Old Trafford following his blockbuster transfer in the summer of 2021, with his eight goal contributions paling in comparison to the 36 he managed in his final season in Germany. A strong start to his second campaign was then derailed by physical and mental health issues, as he was removed from the squad altogether for a number of months.
This season, a very public falling-out with Erik ten Hag has proven to be the death knell for his time at the club. Sancho reacted angrily after being left out of the squad that travelled to face Arsenal in September, and he was subsequently exiled from the first team. He has not played a minute for the Red Devils since, securing a loan return to Dortmund in January.
It is said Sancho had issues with lateness throughout his time at United, while his application was also called into question. Speaking after his move in January, Ten Hag said: "So after he was signed, one year before (I was here), and there were issues. We have had issues all the way through, and so you can make out his stay at Manchester United so far is not a success."
GettySouthgate's Bundesliga problem
Although he risks contradicting himself with his captain Harry Kane now starring for Bayern Munich, Southgate has also been hesitant to lean heavily on players from the Bundesliga in the past, waiting some time before making now-key man Jude Bellingham a regular starter and using Sancho sparingly after his debut in 2018.
Speaking about the German top flight in 2022, the England boss said: "The league is definitely a brilliant league for young players and coaches to develop, but of course the standard of the Premier League is undoubtedly higher."
He made similar comments in reference to Sancho amid his initial struggles at United in 2021. "With Jadon, I’m not surprised," he said. "The Bundesliga is totally different, Dortmund is a big club but Manchester United is one of the biggest in the world. You’re not going to get the goals and assists numbers anywhere near in our league, that you are in the Bundesliga."