Sancho: I’m believing in myself a lot more

Sancho joined the club from Borussia Dortmund last summer and unfortunately missed our pre-season campaign due to his extended participation at the European Championship with England, which meant his start to life as a Red was a gradual process while he built his match sharpness. 

It has taken some time for Jadon to adjust to life back in English football, but his recent displays have highlighted all the qualities that make him one of the most exciting young players in Europe. 

The 21-year-old had started to find his groove in December and scored his first United goal in the Champions League win at Villarreal, lashing the ball into the top corner, but the arrival of Ralf Rangnick as our interim manager appears to have triggered his most consistent run so far. 

Rangnick is a long-term admirer of Jadon’s and even tried to sign him as a teenager for his previous club RB Leipzig, before he made the move to their Bundesliga rivals Dortmund back in 2017. That connection with Ralf appears to be paying dividends though and, notably, Sancho has started our last six matches across all competitions, scoring two goals and notching two assists in the process. 

Our England international is expected to start again on Saturday afternoon when United host his former youth-team club Watford at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Speaking ahead of that 15:00 GMT kick-off, the no.25 told us how much he is enjoying the game right now.

“I’ve been playing a lot of football recently,” said Jadon with a smile, seated at Carrington earlier this week. “I guess that’s because I’ve been working a lot harder and believing in myself a lot more and just trying to make things happen. 

“I’m just happy that my team-mates are believing in me and giving me support, especially when I go one-v-one, and hearing the fans when they cheer me on and are telling me to get at my opponent… I’m delighted with my performances.”

Sancho’s four United goals so far Video

Sancho’s four United goals so far

Jadon now has four goals to his name, against Villarreal, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Southampton…

Sancho was heavily involved in Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid and, like all of our players, was encouraged by the 1-1 draw we earned in Spain. The competition is well and truly in his thoughts, too, when asked about his personal ambitions. 

“Definitely getting a Champions League spot for next season, 100 per cent we need to get that,” he explained. “I feel like we have a strong enough squad to win the Champions League, I really believe that. But we all have to work for each other and for us to even get close to the final we have to go game-by-game. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but I feel like with the players we have and the experience we have then it’s definitely doable. And for sure I will do my best.”

Of course, the immediate focus has returned to the Premier League and this weekend’s match against Watford, a club that Sancho has extremely fond memories of. “Watford was a lot of fun,” he said. “I was happy when I was there and I had a lot of freedom when I was playing. That’s what makes me happy and makes me the best player I can be when I’m just free, doing what I love.”

While at Vicarage Road, Jadon worked closely with our Head of Academy, Nick Cox, and the pair were reunited at Carrington this week for a catch up. When we asked what is the biggest thing he learned as a Watford youngster, his response highlighted the journey he has been on since then.

“Probably the little skills that I do now. At Watford I used to work on a lot of skills and I want to show people what I can do. I’ve kept that throughout my career but what has changed is I’m less greedy now. I like to pass now, but before at Watford I was just greedy… I never used to pass [laughs]!
 
“When you beat your opponent, you still need to have that awareness of what’s going on around you. When I was at Dortmund I learnt how to beat a man and give the ball in tight situations. That’s why I had so many assists there, and also recently because I wanted to bring that here.”

United v Watford kicks off at 15:00 GMT on Saturday. The game will not be broadcast live in the UK, but you can follow live updates via ManUtd.com and the United App, and listen to radio commentary courtesy of MUTV.