Arsenal legend and CBS pundit Thierry Henry has lauded Jadon Sancho for remaining mentally strong after a tricky start to the season at Manchester United.
The English winger was sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund in January this year after seemingly falling out with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag. He played just 76 minutes of football in the Premier League but has refound his touch with the German outfit.
Most recently, he impressed in the Bundesliga side’s 1-0 first-leg semi-final Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday (April 1). Speaking after that match, Henry said (via Metro):
“We all know that he struggled mentally at Manchester United. The power of the brain and how you can be as a professional… when you’re not well here, or at home, or whatever it is, you cannot perform. I don’t care where you are, who you are, or the talent that you have.”
“You can see that things are a bit better up there, whatever the struggle was with him because to do what he did tonight… I think Manchester United he played 48 games and only dribbled past a player seven times. He did that in the first ten minutes tonight,” he continued.
“All I can say is: I don’t underestimate that. Mental health is not an easy thing to deal with and you can see that when someone is well up there then they can perform, so well, big man. You need to feel the love, you need to feel that you’re important and you can’t lose your football just like that,” he added.
Since moving to Dortmund in January, Sancho has played 17 matches across competitions, bagging three goals and two assists.
Breaking down Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho’s performance v Paris Saint-Germain
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho impressed during his team’s 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Despite failing to register a goal contribution, the winger recorded an 88 percent passing accuracy, made three key passes, and created a big chance.
He completed 13 of his 18 attempted dribbles successfully, won 14 of 20 ground duels, and played one accurate long ball from a single attempt. However, none of Sancho’s three attempted crosses found their target.
Before traveling to Paris for the second leg, Borussia Dortmund will host Augsburg at the Signal Iduna Park for a league fixture on Saturday (May 4). They’re fifth in the standings, five points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig.
