NICE ONE MY SAN!
Goal ace Jadon praised by new boss Carrick
MANCHESTER United’s Champions League win over Villarreal was a new beginning for the club and a fresh start for Jadon Sancho.
Sancho suffered under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and he was pushed aside following his £73m summer move to accommodate returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo in United’s attack.
His start against Villarreal in Michael Carrick’s first game in interim charge was only his eighth for United and the England winger grabbed his chance to score his first goal for the club.
United fans voted him their man of the match on the club’s website and Carrick was delighted with his graft as well as his craft.
Sancho epitomised the discipline Carrick (inset) demanded from his team as he tracked back to help out defensively when Villarreal were on top during the first part of the game.
“I was so pleased for Jadon,” said Carrick. “I thought he worked his socks off, he gave everything and it wasn’t always with the ball.
“I know how much he enjoys having the ball at his feet, trying to make things happen and he showed a different side.
“He showed both sides of his game on the night and to go out and get his goal at the end capped if off perfectly for him and for us. It’s a fresh start and hopefully there is going to be more to come.”
Sancho will hope this kickstarts his stalled United career and after netting 16 times and making 20 assists for Borussia Dortmund last season, Tuesday’s strike was his first goal involvement for the Reds.
Gareth Southgate will have noted Sancho’s performance and the former Manchester City youngster has ground to make up to force his way into his starting line-up at next year’s World Cup.
Sancho failed to make recent England’s squads and has made just one appearance this season, against Andorra, when he grabbed two assists.
His team-mates were pleased for him to get his rewards against Villarreal.
Victor Lindelof said: “I’m very happy for Jadon. He’s been putting in the work and to see him perform the way he did and then top that off with a goal, was absolutely amazing.”
Sancho’s goal crowned United’s 2-0 win to earn them a place in the Champions League last 16 for a British record 19th time and Lindelof was pleased with what was only their third clean sheet of the season.
He and Harry Maguire have been pilloried for their displays as United imploded in Solskjaer’s final weeks and feels they finally have a platform to build upon.
“We haven’t kept a clean sheet for a while so for us as a team, it’s an amazing feeling,” said the Swede.
“We can build on it, it’s been a tough couple of weeks.”