CITY SPECIAL Jadon ‘could be England’s version of Neymar’
CITY might have sold England’s version of Neymar, if one of Jadon Sancho’s former coaches is to be believed.
The 18-year-old left the Blues to join Borussia Dortmund in an £8m transfer last year.
Sancho was deemed one of the Blues’ hottest young talents but was unconvinced of his firstteam prospects at the Etihad and refused to sign a professional contract before leaving for Germany.
That move paid off as the teenager has played 15 times for Die Borussen, notching six assists and scoring once.
Dan Micciche coached Sancho at Under-15 and Under-16 levels for England and has likened him to the world’s most expensive player, Neymar.
“Provided he doesn’t become restricted he could be our (England’s) Neymar-type player in terms of being unpredictable, playing on that left-hand side,” Micciche said.
“And he’s flamboyant, entertaining to watch. But like Neymar he’s effective with it.
“In most games he’ll create something - it’s not a beauty contest. He’s not on the pitch flicking it over someone’s head for the sake of it.
“What he brings to the table are ball skills - being able to play out of tight areas in a way where he can beat a player rather than having to pass it and he can do that a variety of ways. He can run with the ball at speed and go both sides.
“Even though he’s rightfooted, when he’s dribbling at people on that left side he can actually go inside or outside and that makes him very difficult to defend against.” THE transformation of City has been fondly remembered over the past week after the 10th anniversary of Abu Dhabi ownership.
Sheikh Mansour’s investment in the club has seen the Blues climb to the top of English football, with Pep Guardiola’s side smashing all manner of records last season as they claimed an historic Premier League title.
Vincent Kompany, signed just before the takeover, has been among those to fondly look back on how the club has changed - but what of its supporters and the city of Manchester? According to Kevin Parker, general secretary of the official supporters’ club, City have gone global.
“We probably had 80 branches and half-a-dozen internationally 10 years ago,” he explained. “Now we have more than 250 worldwide and almost 50 per cent are now international – in America, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, China and there are two in Costa Rica.
“The difference is when we used to open branches they were ex-pats who’d travelled the world and settled down and still loved City to let everyone else know in that part of the world.
“Generally that’s not the case now, they’re all locals. This is the wonder of the internet and media that people pick up on little bits and pieces and get hooked.
“I went to New York for the City game [against Liverpool in July]. We’d flown 11 hours and there were people who had driven for 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 hours to get to the game from all parts of the US and Canada.
“They were as dyed-in-thewool Blue as I was and there’s an element of me that’s not comfortable saying that.”
City may have taken off around the globe, but Manchester is also booming. For Collyhurstborn Brian Kidd, that has been the biggest impact of the last 10 years.
The former United assistant has more than 50 years in football and has seen the transformation at the Blues from close quarters after returning to the club in 2009.
From taking charge of five-a-side academy sessions on the Platt Lane bowling green to overseeing David Silva and Co in rondo drills at the £200m training complex next to the Etihad, a move of three miles has brought a world of difference.
But even more striking about the takeover for Kidd has been the change in the 20-minute walk to the street where his dad was born in Ancoats, now home to a host of restaurants including a pizzeria that regularly has people queueing out of the door for a table. “I know the volume of money [that has gone in] but the biggest thing for me is that it has retained the community feel,” said Kidd.
“That’s unbelievable. When you look now, you can’t put into words how it has enhanced the areas of Collyhurst, Ancoats and New Islington. “When you were a kid you were all wanting to get out the area, now they’re paying £1m for an apartment and everyone wants to get back in there!
“My dad, God rest his soul, would be laughing in his grave. He was born in Cotton Street. If I was to say there were flats going for £1m he’d say never in a million years, so you can see exactly what it has done from a community point of view.”
Parker sees the continuing involvement of Kidd and others at the club as a sign that the links to the past - City have plenty of history Brian Kidd