Sport
Why is Jadon Sancho England’s invisible man at Euro 2020?
Long-distance relationships are never easy. Just ask Jadon Sancho. The Borussia Dortmund winger, who never played a Premier League game, has yet to get on the pitch for England at Euro 2020. Sancho’s status seems to have been adversely affected by his employment overseas.
He would not be the first to experience such difficulties. Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves was actually booed by England fans during the 2006 World Cup, before going on to become one of the few members of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad to emerge from the tournament with credit.
“The problem I’ve got is that the English public don’t know me,” Hargreaves said at the time. “They don’t see me as a player. I can deal with that. Whether people cheer me or give a negative reaction, I’m not really bothered. I believe in myself and I have the backing of the manager and his staff, and that’s the most important thing.”
Thankfully Jadon Sancho will not be jeered should he belatedly make his tournament debut against Czech Republic. But it remains difficult to shake the feeling that he is underappreciated by the English footballing public and, on the evidence of Euro 2020 so far, by his manager too.
Sancho joined Dortmund in 2017 after concluding that game time would be limited at Manchester City. Four years on and it is difficult to argue that he made the wrong decision. He has now spent three seasons as a regular starter for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. He has played in the Champions League, won trophies and finished second in the Bundesliga. On an individual basis, he has emerged as one of the foremost young players in the world.
In 2018/19 Jadon Sancho registered 13 goals and 15 assists across the Bundesliga and the Champions League. That rose to 19 goals and 18 assists in 2019/20, after which Manchester United spent the whole summer trying to sign him. Sancho’s numbers dipped to 10 goals and 14 assists last term but that is still a respectable return and came amid a turbulent campaign for Dortmund.
Yet despite his excellent and consistent output, Jadon Sancho did not even make the bench for England’s opening game against Croatia. Before the tournament, neither Gary Neville nor Jamie Carragher included the 21-year-old in his preferred squad. When England needed a goal against Scotland on Friday, Sancho did not get on the pitch.
Managing England is not an easy job. Southgate is blessed with numerous attacking options. Had Jadon Sancho appeared against Scotland while Jack Grealish remained on the bench, Southgate would have been criticised for that particular omission instead.
Moreover, it is too easily forgotten that the international game is not akin to fantasy football. Managers are trying to pick a team capable of success at a major tournament, with an eye on the collective balance and prior form in an England shirt. Selections are not just a reward for club form, which takes place in an entirely different context. That is why Raheem Sterling, who has performed well for Southgate, was never in danger of losing his place despite an iffy end to the club campaign.
Even so, the time has surely come for Jadon Sancho to show what he can do. He would bring a much-needed injection of pace to a ponderous England side. Sancho excels in tight spaces and has continually demonstrated an ability to break down deep defences at Dortmund. His inclusion in the team might also help to bring the best out of Harry Kane, who has grown accustomed to several runners darting beyond him at Tottenham.
Were Jadon Sancho playing for Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, it is difficult to envisage him failing to appear for a single minute so far at Euro 2020. The 21-year-old does not have a constituency back home pushing his merits. Such noise should not inform Southgate’s selection decisions, of course, but it inevitably contributes to the broader atmosphere around the team. Followers of the England national team simply have not watched Sancho as much as other members of the squad and that has led to him being underappreciated in the country of his birth.
Perhaps Sancho realises this too. He appears keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, even if United have shown about as much urgency in their pursuit of the winger as England did against Scotland at Wembley. The chance to return home after four years away might appeal to Jadon Sancho for non-footballing reasons, but he has probably also realised that playing abroad does his international prospects no favours whatsoever.
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