May 1st 2024.
Jadon Sancho was on fire during Dortmund's recent victory over PSG. It was a match that had everyone talking, including former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand, who couldn't help but praise Sancho's incredible performance. He even questioned why the young forward has struggled to reach such heights at United.
Sancho was undoubtedly the standout player on the pitch during the Champions League semi-final first leg. He left everyone in awe with his skills and agility, while Niclas Fullkrug's goal sealed a 1-0 win for Dortmund. Some may argue that Fullkrug should have scored a brace, especially after Sancho's impressive wing play, but unfortunately, he missed the mark.
As a United supporter, it's hard not to compare the Sancho we saw in Dortmund's starting XI to the one we signed for a reported fee of £73million in 2021. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, he has also disappointed at times during his time at Old Trafford. In fact, he even completed a loan move back to Dortmund in January in hopes of reigniting his career.
Sancho was determined to prove himself in the highly anticipated first leg, and he did just that. He outshone Paris Saint-Germain's star player Kylian Mbappe, and according to Ferdinand, he was "shaking and baking" top players on the field. It was like watching the young Sancho who grew up playing in cages, with that same arrogance and swagger.
"He isn't just a dribbler, he isn't just somebody who runs past people with pace," Ferdinand said in the TNT Sports studio after the game. "He's a footballer who wants to be involved in the game, play one-twos and set the tempo. What I saw today, which I haven't seen before, was cage-football Sancho."
Ferdinand couldn't help but be impressed by Sancho's performance and urged him to savor the praise he will undoubtedly receive. He also couldn't resist questioning what went wrong for Sancho at United. Was it due to a lack of game-time, the pressure of playing for a big club, or perhaps the physicality of the Premier League?
But one thing that is for sure is that Sancho's value has gone back up after his exceptional showing against PSG. "If I can get anywhere near that on a regular basis, then I'll have some of that!" Ferdinand exclaimed.
Former United player Owen Hargreaves also couldn't help but praise Sancho's performance. "I could tell from his first few touches that he was confident," he said. "He had a bit of arrogance about him, which is what makes a flair player really good."
Hargreaves also pointed out that Sancho outplayed every single player on the pitch, including some of the best players in the world. He couldn't help but be impressed by Sancho's confidence and skills, which were on full display against PSG.
So, what's next for Sancho? Only he knows what happened at United, but one thing is for sure, his performance in the Champions League semi-final has silenced any doubters. He may not be consistent, but on this night, he showed that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level. And that deserves all the praise and recognition.
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