PATH TO SUCCESS IS SIMPLY... WUNDERBAR
Jamie follows Jadon & Jude on Dortmund’s talent conveyor belt
THE Dortmund conveyor belt that brought England ready-made stars in Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham has whirled into action once more.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is the latest talent to be forged in Germany’s industrial heartland.
The Reading-born youngster will start for the Three Lions in their Under-19 Euro finals clash against Austria in Slovakia tomorrow night.
Like Sancho and Bellingham before him, he has chosen to develop his career at Borussia Dortmund.
Still only 17, Bynoe-Gittens’ promotion from the Under-18 squad comes after he had already made his full Bundesliga debut in April, with the Germans more concerned with holding him back rather than pushing him on too soon.
“He’s a highly talented offensive player, but he should develop patiently with us in the junior division,” Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said shortly after signing him.
“We don’t want expectations to be too high right from the start.” Bynoe-Gittens, on the other hand, has never seemed too worried about that.
Like Sancho, he had moved north to Manchester City to further his football development, so got to see first-hand the qualities that ultimately made the former a £75million signing for Manchester United. “I’m going to try and make a name for myself,” said Bynoe-Gittens when he first moved to Germany as a 16-year-old.
“When Sancho was at City, he was doing bits in the U18s, scoring every game, so in a way, I want to be like him.
“You have got to take stuff from other people to make the best version of yourself. You’ve now got to score and assist to be the best.”
Successful English exports are still the exception but the recent flurry of young players making a name for themselves on the continent comes as the whole St George’s Park project begins to crank fully into gear.
At the head of the operation, England senior manager Gareth Southgate is a huge proponent of players adding to their football education with spells abroad.
And the fact that overseas clubs are being attracted to English youngsters is another feather in the cap of the national football headquarters.
Beyond that, the lower age groups are seen as the best place to nurture the winning mentality that one day will finally deliver a senior men’s World Cup after so many years of hurt.
Indeed, as well as the Phil Foden-inspired Under-17s team that were crowned World champions in 2017, the Under-19 win in the Euros in that same year remains one of the more notable successes.
That 2-1 England win over Portugal featured Aaron Ramsdale and Mason Mount, demonstrating that there can be a very real progression of talent through the ranks.
With further group games this year against Serbia and Israel, Ian Foster’s England are one of the heaviest-fancied teams among the eight for more success this summer.
Germany, meanwhile, did not qualify having finished rock bottom of their qualification group.