EUROVISION

Trailblazing teenager Jadon Sancho has left Man City to further his career in Germany. His message to other hopefuls? I want to show kids it’s not all about staying in England..explore..make sacrifices

JADON SANCHO is only 17 but is already a trailblazer for future generations.

After joining Germans Borussia Dortmund in August, boy wonder Sancho wants to prove to youngsters the football world is bigger than just England.

Sancho’s £10million move from Manchester City was the biggest of all the deals that saw English kids join foreign clubs last summer.

And his historic and eyecatching start only helped underline why he is rated as one of the best teenage talents in Europe.

He turns 18 tomorrow and is in the England Under-19 squad that continues the defence on their European crown, against Latvia.

He said: “I just want to show other young kids growing up it is not about just staying in England, getting loans. Explore.. If you want to play you have to do what you’ve got to do. Make sacrifices.” For Sancho the biggest was leaving his family behind, bar his dad Sean who lives with him in Dortmund.

But being away from home has helped him mature while he has developed as a player from his increased involvement in firstteam football. Sancho has also been able to take his first steps in senior football away from the sort of intense scrutiny previous English hot prospects have been under.

The exciting winger said: “Some people can handle it, some don’t like it. I just like to be in my zone, playing football.”

Sancho’s decision to turn down a contract offer at City and join Dortmund, who first spotted him aged 14, raised some eyebrows.

But he said: “I wanted to move for opportunities and people understood because at the time there was Leroy Sane, Patrick Roberts on loan... I just thought Dortmund was the best team for me, knowing young players impress people here.” Vindication hasn’t taken long to arrive for Sancho (below). He was handed the No.7 shirt vacated by Ousmane Dembele, now at Barcelona, and endeared himself to his new teammates and coaches with his teamfirst, humble attitude, as much as his ability, in his early appearances for the Under-19s.

He quickly became close with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – before the striker joined Arsenal – and 2014 World Cup winner Mario Gotze, among others. Sancho said: “Aubameyang and I used to play competitions after training where whoever scored the least goals had to clean boots. It was just banter really. He’s a nice person.

“Mario Gotze has spoken to me a lot. He thinks I’m a really good player, wants me to do well and express myself because he wants me to stay in the team.”

Sancho first got there in October, making his first-team debut at Eintracht Frankfurt before being handed his second appearance as a sub against Bayern Munich. He said: “I’ve seen everyone at Bayern play in the Champions League like Lewandowski, Vidal so it was like, ‘I’m here, be ready’.”

Then came Wolfsburg’s visit when he became the first Englishman to start a league game for Dortmund.

“I’m a history-maker,” added

a proud Sancho, who capped a memorable period by being named the Bundesliga’s b young player for January, before an ankle injury checked his progress.

Fit-again Sancho admitted: “I wasn't thinking this big”, when he first started kicking a ball on his estate in Kennington South London. And, though he has long been hailed as one of England’s best youngsters, he said: “I didn’t know I was good enough to be a pro growing up.

“When I used to go to tournaments my dad would say ‘MVP – are you willing to take that? Because there are other players wanting that trophy’ and that has always made me play and work harder.”