Jadon Sancho- i was dying at Manchester United but i feel much more alive right now
Jadon Sancho has made a flying start to his second spell at Borussia Dortmund, and his former youth coach believes the England international is already benefiting from the move
Jadon Sancho looks a man reborn back at Borussia Dortmund after his nightmare spell in Manchester
Jadon Sancho looks a man reborn back at Borussia Dortmund after his nightmare spell in Manchester
Jadon Sancho’s coach has spoken about his struggles at Manchester United and how Borussia Dortmund feel about him.
After returning to the Bundesliga giants on loan from Manchester United, Sancho proved his worth in just one game. In his first two games back with Dortmund, Sancho provided assists and then scored in a Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year old hadn’t played since August for his original club, but quickly got back into the swing of things in Germany, making Dortmund manager Edin Terzic very happy. He revealed that Sancho is “full of joy” since returning to Signal Iduna Park.
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Sayce Holmes-Lewis recognises this version of Sancho very well. A coach and ex-footballer himself, he first met Sancho when he was just six or seven, playing for Watford, reports the Mirror.
He saw him shine at the London Youth Games alongside their close pal and Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson. Both of them even helped open a football pitch in South London in 2022.
Holmes-Lewis still chats regularly with Sean, Sancho’s dad. He shared some wonderful memories in an interview witrh Mirror Football of a young talent recapturing his form. But for a time at Old Trafford, while his relationship with Erik ten Hag was tense, this version of the former England international was missing.
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Jadon Sancho of Manchester United during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and RC Lens at Old Trafford on August 05, 2023 in Manchester, England
Sancho struggled at Manchester United
Sayce Holmes-Lewis on a new 4G pitch opened in 2022
Sayce Holmes-Lewis opened a 4G pitch with Arsenal star Reiss Nelson in 2022
“Reiss and I have always been close,” Holmes-Lewis says. “Jadon, we’ve been close, I speak to his dad quite often, I haven’t watched him live for a while at a Man United game but again I try to be there when they need me.
“It’s not easy for them because they’ve left their communities, they’re in the spotlight, and the lack of support they sometimes get from the clubs – because, you know, they have these vast amounts of money – they end up coming back to the people they trust, and I know they trust me and I take great value and pride in that, that they know I’m always going to be here for them because I want them to enjoy the game but (also) be the best human beings they can be.”
He recalled Sancho, Nelson and London-born Colombia international Ian Poveda all excelling on small-sided matches at the London Youth Games, “just feeding off each other’s energy”. The three went in different directions, though, with only Arsenal’s Nelson remaining in London – Sancho and Poveda both spent time at Manchester City, with the former joining Dortmund and then Manchester United and Poveda now on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Leeds United.
Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 round of 16 second leg match between Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven at Signal Iduna Park on March 13, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany
Sancho has contributed two goals and two assists in 10 appearances for Dortmund
Sancho’s tale is one many footballers know too well, where they struggle in places that are so different from home. Holmes-Lewis says it’s key to have good people with you and thinks going back to Dortmund has helped a lot – just like Nelson and Ademola Lookman, who he knew before Lookman became a pro, did well when they played abroad.
“I would say keep those trusted people around you, people that are going to hold you accountable and give you the hard truths,” he shared about what advice he’d give young players. “I think that’s important, keeping you accountable, given that you’re responsible for the decisions you make. I think that’s been massively important for both Jadon and Reiss, and Ademola as well, they have people they trust and they can actually share those ideas and thoughts around what the next move might be.
“Jadon’s dad, before he went to Dortmund he asked me ‘Sayce, what do you think about him going to Germany? ‘, and I said ‘That’s a great shout’. Because as long as he’s playing first-team football, at 17, that’s the biggest thing he can do.”
Jadon Sancho during Darmstadt v Borussia Dortmund
Jadon Sancho registered an assist on his second Dortmund debut in January
“We saw what he did during his time at Dortmund, his first stint, and now you see him returning to Dortmund and just having a feel for the game again, being supported in a way that maybe he isn’t being supported at Man United, but you’re seeing now how he’s expressing himself on the pitch and he’s playing the game like he loves the game again.”
“I think that’s really important that young people who are in those games need to understand ‘why am I playing this game? What is my motivation? Is it the money? Is it the cars? Is it the women? No, it’s not, it’s because I love this game. And yes I’m getting paid for it, but I want to enjoy it at the same time’. And I think that’s what we need to make sure we continue to hone in young people.”
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