22-year-old Jadon Sancho made his return to the matchday squad and also got some minutes on the pitch during Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tie at Old Trafford.
The Old Trafford crowd gave the England international an affectionate welcome when he was subbed on in the 63rd minute by the manager alongside Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Erik Ten Hag, like the fans, couldn't hide his excitement as the player applauded Antony, who came off for him.
Jadon Sancho has come under heavy criticism after he failed to match the hype surrounding his €100 million move to Old Trafford in 2020. The former Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund winger has failed to hit the ground running at Old Trafford since making his debut under Ole Solskjaer, the man who brought him to Manchester United.
Scrutinized by the media and sometimes turned against by his own fans. Jadon Sancho had to deal with his poor performance and criticisms. His injury plight also compounded his lack of contributions to the team.
Man United fans can't doubt Jadon Sancho's talents. Blessed with pace, fast feet, and a street-smart kind of football, the 22-year-old has often given the Old Trafford crowd a glimpse of what he could do with the ball when he is in form, but has never been consistent.
His poor form saw him miss out on a spot in England's final squad list for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar. He was already a ghost figure at Old Trafford due to his injury and illness, plus a certain Alejandro Gernacho has stolen his place in the starting eleven.
While the World Cup tournament was being played in Qatar, the winger traveled to the Netherlands to start some personal training sessions. He was also subjected to therapy sessions to help his mental health and fitness. All these were after he made a social media post claiming he would be less frequent on the social media space as he wanted to focus more on his career and family.
Surprisingly, Jadon Sancho didn't resume with the rest of the squad after the World Cup tournament; he wasn't even with the squad when Manchester United traveled to Spain for their midseason friendlies. This sparked confusion among the fans, who wonder what's going on with the England star.
The player returned to England after his training session in the Netherlands was completed but was not allowed to train with the rest of the team and didn't travel with them to games. Fans and the media inquired about the player's well-being, but Erik Ten Hag kept emphasizing that the move was for the benefit of both the team and the player.
When the 22-year-old was declared ready to return to the team prior to Nottingham Forest's game, it was good news as fans impatiently waited for his much-anticipated return. He was named in the matchday squad for the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals, and he got subbed on in the second half.
The 22-year-old took to Instagram after the game to thank the fans for the affectionate welcome back to the pitch and promised to give his best in return.
Jadon Sancho on Instagram
“Wow! I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support I’ve received over the past few weeks, especially the fans. My focus is to give my all to my team and the club; I’m so happy to be back out on the pitch. See you soon. 🤞🏼❤️”
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag also stated that the player enjoyed the love given to him as he prepared to step on the pitch after being away for a long time.
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