Southgate excited by 'brave' Borussia Dortmund teen Sancho

Jadon Sancho's easy adjustment to the pressure of playing for Borussia Dortmund has impressed England boss Gareth Southgate.

Published : Oct 04, 2018 21:23 IST

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.
Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.
lightbox-info

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.

Gareth Southgate applauded Jadon Sancho's gamble on an early overseas move after handing the Borussia Dortmund teenager his first England call-up.

Sancho, 18, has been named in a 25-man squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain alongside fellow first-timers Mason Mount and James Maddison.

The winger's promotion to the senior setup comes after a sparkling beginning to the new season for Dortmund that has included two Champions League starts.

Eyebrows were raised when he left Manchester City ahead of last term, but the risky switch already appears to be paying off with Southgate excited to see how Sancho adapts to international football.

READ | Borussia Dortmund 3 Monaco 0: Alcacer makes amends for penalty miss in convincing win

"It's been a brave decision by him to play in the Bundesliga, but he is playing in front of big support every week. He's dealing with that and excelling," the England manager said.

"[Sancho and Mount] are both in their formative stages but we think they can play in the group. It's a big call, but it aligns to what we've done in the last 18 months. We have some injuries in midfield, so there's an opportunity there."

"We think there are some exciting young players we have been tracking, and it's a great opportunity for us to look at them."

"We are always conscious of the balance on how quickly we put those players in, but we think they are performing well with their clubs, they're confident players and we get an understanding of how they and we work."

Sancho has netted once in the Bundesliga this season, while Chelsea-owned Mount has struck three times for Derby County in the Championship and Leicester City's Maddison's 15 chances created are the most among Englishmen in the Premier League.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment