Sancho's unforgettable 2017, replacing Dembele & snubbing Madrid

Sancho's unforgettable 2017, replacing Dembele & snubbing Madrid

Sancho, en un partido con la selección inglesa
Sancho, en un partido con la selección inglesa | sport

The England star left Man City in search of a fast track to first team football

Jadon Sancho had an unforgettable 2017: in May, he was runner up in the U17 Euros, where he was named the best player at the tournament. In August, he left Manchester City (despite Pep Guardiola wanting him to stay) and signed for Borussia Dortmund. He was 17 and unknown to many, but when he was presented at the German club he made it clear he wasn't there to make up the numbers. 

Sancho took on the No.7 shirt that had been vacated by Ousmane Dembele, who had signed for Barcelona. The significance was clear: he has arrived in Dortmund ready to equal -- or better -- Dembele. He'd arrived after turning down an offer from Real Madrid, too, to join their second team with first-team chances to come. But Sancho wanted a quicker path to the top and went to Dortmund, where young talent is allowed to thrive (Dembélé, Isak, Sancho, Haaland, etc). 

That same year, 2017, in October, he was part of the England squad for the U17 World Cup. He took part in the group stages, excelling with three goals in three games, but halfway through the tournament, Dortmund called him back. He still hadn't played for the first team at that point. "I hope it's to play in the first team," England coach Steve Cooper said. "If not, I can't think of any reason to take a player away from a World Cup. 

Sancho returned to Europe, made his Dortmund debut, playing in the Bundesliga, and the England national team still managed to win the World Cup, beating Spain 5-2 in the final. Sancho would probably have gone on to be named the player of the tournament, but that honour went to his former City teammate, Phil Foden. 

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