Birmingham City forward and Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has recalled receiving a message from a teenage boy named Jadon Sancho on Instagram. The former Man United striker Odion Ighalo's ex-teammate claimed that 12-year-old Jadon Sancho sent him a DM following his arrival at Watford's academy.
“About a decade ago, I got a message from a young kid on Instagram. It read something like: “Hi there, Troy, my name’s Jadon, I’m 12 years old, and I’m in the Watford Academy; look out for me!”
"I didn’t notice this at the time, but many years later, it popped up again on my feed. That’s because the kid in question, Jadon Sancho, had become very famous. In fact, he now has nine million followers. He was right; I should have looked out for him."
"And since I’ve been doing my coaching badges, some of the coaches in the Watford academy have told me how special they knew Jadon was." They have described him as a generational talent, the sort of kid you will only discover once every 10 years if you’re lucky," the 34 year old stated.
"There was something about the way he could manipulate a football, his pace, directness, and confidence." "For them, it wasn’t a case of whether he would be successful but just how soon he would burst onto the scene."
"During the World Cup break, boss Erik Ten Hag stated publicly that Jadon was not in the right physical or mental state to play for Manchester United." It was surprising to many people that Ten Hag spoke so openly about that; however, I do think people are more enlightened and accepting than they used to be about discussing mental health."
"Jadon Sancho has had a tough year; going to Old Trafford as a big-money signing and adapting to the Premier League was difficult." "And I am convinced Cristiano Ronaldo’s sudden arrival didn’t help him either," Troy Deeney explained.
"I can remember several occasions when Cristiano Ronaldo showed displeasure at Sancho on the pitch, and that won't have helped." "We all know Ronaldo has an ego, and Cristiano Ronaldo and the former Borussia Dortmund winger's style don't complement each other on the field of play."
"Jadon Sancho is a right-footer who usually plays on the left. He loves to cut inside and look to shoot himself, and that didn’t always go down well with Cristiano Ronaldo."
"So after all the issues Sancho has had, it was great to see him make such an impact against Leeds on Wednesday night." He came off the bench with his team 2-0 down at Old Trafford and played a major role in their comeback to earn a draw, including scoring the equalizing goal.
"With Antony injured and Alejandro Gernacho struggling, it’s quite likely Sancho will start in the return match at Elland Road." "That would be a great test for him, and one he should relish," he added.
"I always loved playing at Elland Road, a proper old-school ground with a great atmosphere and the crowd right on top of you. And with the fierce rivalry between Leeds and Manchester United, that will be even more pronounced. "If Jadon can impress on Sunday, like he did on Wednesday, it would do his confidence the world of good."
"Like most footballers -- and certainly wingers -- Jadon Sancho is a confident player. He certainly wasn’t lacking confidence when he called me out on social media at the age of 12. I’m convinced he will be back playing regularly at the elite level soon. "He is a special player," Troy Deeney asserted.
Liverpool legend John Barnes has also stated that Jadon Sancho's struggle at Manchester United was down to Cristiano Ronaldo's return to the club and Bruno Fernandes's presence.
He's a fantastic player and he has got great potential," Barnes told BonusCodeBets. "He came to United at a time where the club as a whole was struggling. He came in for £75million where he was put into the team and he was expected to be one of the main players."
"He was overshadowed by the likes of Ronaldo and Fernandes so his confidence suffered because he’s a young player. They're [United] now handling him with care. He's going to be playing with a lot more confidence and the future looks bright at United with young players being given their chance," John Barnes explained.
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