Pep Guardiola agreed my exit was ‘perfect’ after I left Man City – but I found the right club

Having departed Manchester City and seemingly destined for a permanent exit from Manchester United, Jadon Sancho is currently preparing to compete in the Champions League final at Wembley.

Content in Germany but dissatisfied in Manchester? Although it presents a simplistic account of Jadon Sancho’s career, the evidence accumulated during the previous decade suggests that it may also be reasonably accurate.

Sancho, without a doubt one of the most gifted players to have originated from these shores in recent history, has now pursued departures from Manchester City and United. However, in both cases, he has emerged stronger for having left, although it appears that he benefited more from the experience.

Having experienced his fair share of professional highs and lows, the former City academy graduate, who is now 24 years old, is on the verge of making history by qualifying for the Champions League final. Furthermore, it had to be in London, his birthplace, didn’t it? Consider the atonement arc situated beneath the Wembley arch.

In recent months, much has been said about Sancho, especially in light of his contentious departure from United following a public dispute with Erik ten Hag. Such a circumstance is rarely evaded without stringent media scrutiny.

However, the tale of his departure from City was quite different; it was less publicized, but nonetheless a daring choice by the player that propelled the youngster from south London towards a seemingly assured career of prominence.

Pep Guardiola rejected Sancho’s 2017 departure from City as entirely audacious and courageous. Patience has consistently been emphasized by Guardiola when instructing his youthful players. Even Phil Foden, who played alongside Sancho in the City development squads during his youth career, was prevented from leaving on loan and had to await his opportunity to make the first team. Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb are presently seated in the same reception area.

At the time of his seventeenth birthday in the summer of 2017, Sancho was not a lad like the players previously mentioned. He desired a more expedited path to first-team status, and Borussia Dortmund served as the ideal staging area.

“He refused to accept this opportunity to prove himself capable of progressing at City,” Guardiola remarked following Sancho’s departure. “He made the decision to travel there.” It is therefore ideal. His progress is commendable; accolades on his accomplishments.”

Everything went extremely well. In his rookie season with Dortmund, Sancho appeared 12 times. By the time he turned 18, he had established himself as a first-team regular and was a pillar of the BVB squad for the following three seasons. During that period, he amassed fifty goals and numerous assists in 137 games.

Sancho’s decision to join Dortmund was influenced by the club’s reputation for promoting young players, and he served as an example for young English players vying for significant playing time in the highest divisions of Europe.

As Sancho stated to The Guardian: “It was about providing opportunities for the youth here.” I was convinced that Dortmund was the ideal club for me. They communicated with me and expressed precisely what I desired to hear. I am extremely grateful that they are now displaying it.”

Soon after, Jude Bellingham and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens followed in the footsteps of Nicolas Sancho, with the latter duplicating his adolescent progression from City’s academy to Dortmund’s senior squad.

However, Sancho has consistently acknowledged the significance of his tenure at the Etihad Campus, a critical few years during which he transitioned from his youth club, Watford, to an environment of the highest caliber.

Upon his initial visit to City in 2015, he expressed the following: “At the time, I was incredulous, but I believe they were extremely beneficial. From being a large animal in a small pond [at Watford] to attending City alongside a large number of elite players, I felt compelled to exert tremendous effort in order to achieve excellence.

“The players assisted me,” They performed admirably. It benefited me tactically, mentally, and physically, as they were considerably stronger and speedier than I was. “Initially, I was mired in obscurity as a graduate of a category three academy; with time, I made significant strides forward and began to contend.”

Naturally, United became intrigued by Sancho’s performances at Dortmund, and after a protracted transfer stalemate, he was acquired for £73 million at Old Trafford. The transaction was met with unanimous approval from both supporters and analysts.

It is incapable of failing? Indeed, not exactly. It would be unjust to assign sole responsibility to Sancho for the subsequent events at United. However, the Champions League final on Saturday between Real Madrid and Dortmund, whom Sancho re-joined on loan in January, feels like a turning point in the winger’s career.

The perception exists that he failed at United, City, and England, and that he lost favor with Gareth Southgate and the national team, despite the fact that each of those three situations contains a great deal of nuance.

Many of Sancho’s career choices would be validated by a Champions League victory, including his decision to abandon City seven years ago.

“Jadon is a player who needs to smile,” Dortmund manager Edin Terzic said following Sancho’s performance in their Champions League semi-final victory over Paris Saint-Germain that earned him the Man of the Match award.

“If he’s smiling then he’s going to shine on the pitch.”

At Dortmund, Sancho has always felt cherished. Following disappointing performances in Europe this season for both City and United, he will undoubtedly be pleased if the German side hoises the trophy on Saturday night at Wembley.