Jadon Sancho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jadon Sancho

Sancho with Manchester United in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Jadon Malik Sancho
Date of birth	(2000-03-25) 25 March 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth	Camberwell, Greater London, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Manchester United
Youth career
2007–2015	Watford
2015–2017	Manchester City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017	Borussia Dortmund II	3	(0)
2017–2021	Borussia Dortmund	104	(38)
2021–	Manchester United	58	(9)
2024	→ Borussia Dortmund (loan)	14	(2)
2024–2025	→ Chelsea (loan)	31	(3)
International career
2015–2016	England U16	11	(8)
2016–2017	England U17	19	(16)
2017–2018	England U19	7	(2)
2018–	England	23	(3)
Medal record Men's football Representing  England UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2020 UEFA Nations League Third 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup Winner 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Runner-up 2017
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:00, 25 May 2025 (UTC)

Jadon Malik Sancho, born on March 25, 2000, is an English professional footballer. He plays as a winger for Premier League club Manchester United.

Sancho started his youth career at Watford and Manchester City. He signed his first professional contract with Borussia Dortmund in 2017. During his four seasons there, he played 137 games. He helped Dortmund win the 2019 DFL-Supercup and the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal.

In 2021, Sancho moved back to England to join Manchester United. He won the EFL Cup with them in his second season. He later returned to Dortmund on loan and reached the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.

Jadon Sancho was also part of the England youth team that won the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He first played for the senior England team in 2018 and later played in UEFA Euro 2020.

Early Life and Inspiration

Jadon Malik Sancho was born on March 25, 2000, in Camberwell, London. His mother is English, and his father has Jamaican and Guyanese roots. He grew up in the Kennington area.

He became friends with another young footballer, Reiss Nelson, who lived nearby. They often played together in youth tournaments. When he was growing up, Sancho was a fan of Chelsea. He admired players like Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. His biggest inspiration was Ronaldinho. In 2018, Sancho told Sky Sports that Ronaldinho influenced him a lot. He watched Ronaldinho on YouTube and loved how he did things other players didn't.

Club Football Journey

Starting Out in Youth Teams

Sancho with Manchester City in 2017

Sancho joined Watford when he was seven years old. Traveling across London to the club's academy was difficult. So, at age 11, he moved into housing provided by Watford. He also started attending their partner school, Harefield Academy. When he was 14, he told his Watford coach he wanted to play for England.

At 14, in March 2015, he moved to Manchester City. The initial fee was £66,000. Sancho continued to impress in City's youth academy. In May 2017, City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, said Sancho was one of three players who would quickly join the senior team. However, in July, Sancho was not included in City's pre-season tour. This was because of a disagreement about how much playing time he would get in a new contract. Reports said Sancho wanted to leave the club. City was also concerned about his attitude after he missed training.

Time at Borussia Dortmund

First Seasons (2017–2019)

On August 31, 2017, Sancho signed with German club Borussia Dortmund for about £8 million. He was immediately part of their main team. He felt confident moving abroad because he had already moved for Watford and Manchester City. Sancho played his first game for Dortmund on October 21. He came on as a substitute against Eintracht Frankfurt. This made him the first Englishman to play a Bundesliga match for Dortmund.

He started his first league game for Dortmund on January 14, 2018. He hit the goalpost in a 0–0 draw with VfL Wolfsburg. On April 21, he scored his first professional goal. It was the first goal in a 4–0 win against Bayer Leverkusen. He also helped set up two other goals in that game.

Sancho signed a new contract to stay with Dortmund until 2022. He had a great October 2018 and was named Bundesliga Player of the Month. He scored three goals and made one assist in just three league games. He scored two goals in a draw against Hertha BSC. This made him the first player born in the 2000s to score twice in a single Bundesliga match. He was also Dortmund's youngest player to do so. On October 24, he became the first player born in the 2000s to score in the UEFA Champions League for Dortmund against Atlético Madrid.

Sancho playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020

On February 9, 2019, during a 3–3 draw with TSG Hoffenheim, he became the youngest player to score eight goals in a Bundesliga season. He broke a record held by Christian Wück. Later that month, he scored in a 3–2 win over Bayer Leverkusen. This made him the youngest player to score nine Bundesliga goals, at 18 years and 336 days old. On April 13, Sancho scored two goals in a 2–1 win over Mainz 05. He became the youngest Dortmund player to score at least 10 goals in one Bundesliga season. He had an impressive league season, scoring 12 goals and making 14 assists. He was named in the 2018–19 Bundesliga Team of the Season.

Later Seasons (2019–2021)

Sancho continued his success before the 2019–20 season. On August 3, 2019, he made an assist and scored in a 2–0 DFL-Supercup win over Bayern Munich. Later that month, Sancho agreed to a new contract with Dortmund. In November, he was the runner-up for the Golden Boy award. The next month, he was also runner-up for the Kopa Trophy award.

Sancho scored in Dortmund's 3–3 draw with RB Leipzig on December 17. This meant he had scored in seven games in a row for the club. By the end of 2019, he had 15 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga. His three goals and three assists in five league matches during February 2020 earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for the second time.

On May 31, 2020, Sancho scored his first career hat-trick in a 6–1 away win over SC Paderborn. After his first goal, he took off his shirt to show a message: "Justice for George Floyd". This was to show support for George Floyd, a black man who died earlier that week in Minneapolis.

On May 13, 2021, Sancho scored two goals in a 4–1 win over RB Leipzig in the 2021 DFB-Pokal final.

Joining Manchester United

First Seasons (2021–2023)

Sancho playing for Manchester United in 2021

On July 1, 2021, Manchester United and Dortmund agreed on Sancho's transfer. The transfer was completed on July 23 for about £73 million. Sancho signed a five-year contract. On August 14, he played his first game for United. He came on as a substitute in a 5–1 home win against Leeds United.

On November 23, he scored his first goal for the club against Villarreal. This goal helped United secure a spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Five days later, he scored his first Premier League goal against Chelsea.

Sancho scored his first goal of the 2022–23 season in a 2–1 home win over Liverpool on August 22, 2022. On February 1, 2023, he played in the EFL Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. This was his first game since October 2022. His team secured a place in the final. A week later, he came off the bench to score the tying goal in a 2–2 draw at home to Leeds United.

Loan to Borussia Dortmund (2023–2024)

Sancho was not in United's team for their game against Arsenal on September 3, 2023. Manager Erik ten Hag said it was because of Sancho's training performances. Sancho responded on social media, saying he had trained well and felt unfairly treated. On September 14, United announced Sancho would train away from the main team due to a discipline issue.

On January 11, 2024, Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the 2023–24 season. This happened after he wanted to leave Manchester United. Dortmund paid United about €4 million for the loan. On January 13, Sancho played his first game back with Dortmund. He came on as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Darmstadt 98. He also assisted a goal for Marco Reus.

On March 9, Sancho scored against Werder Bremen. This tied him with Tony Woodcock as the highest-scoring Englishman in the Bundesliga. Four days later, he scored against PSV. This helped Dortmund reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. On April 28, Sancho scored against RB Leipzig, becoming the highest-scoring Englishman in the Bundesliga. This record was later broken by Harry Kane. On May 1, he completed 12 dribbles against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final. This was the most by a player at that stage since Lionel Messi in 2008. On June 1, he started in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. Dortmund lost 2–0 to Real Madrid.

Loan to Chelsea (2024–2025)

After his loan to Dortmund, Sancho returned to Manchester United training. On August 10, 2024, he came on as a substitute in the 2024 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. He later missed a penalty in the shootout, and City won.

On August 31, 2024, Sancho signed with Chelsea on loan for the 2024–25 season. This loan included an agreement for Chelsea to buy him permanently if they finished in the top 14. Sancho played his first game for Chelsea on September 14 against Bournemouth. He came on as a substitute and assisted Christopher Nkunku's winning goal. He was named Man of the Match.

Sancho started Chelsea's next two Premier League games. He assisted goals in both matches, helping Chelsea win. He scored his first goal for Chelsea on December 4 in a 5–1 win over Southampton. He then scored a long-range goal against Tottenham Hotspur on December 8. This goal started a comeback victory for Chelsea.

On May 1, 2025, Sancho scored the first goal in the Conference League semi-final first leg. Chelsea won 4–1 against Djurgården. Later that month, on May 28, he scored Chelsea's third goal in a 4–1 win over Real Betis in the 2025 UEFA Conference League final. On June 3, Chelsea decided not to sign Sancho permanently. They paid a £5 million fee to Manchester United instead.

International Career

Youth Teams

Sancho played for England's youth teams at the under-16, under-17, and under-19 levels.

In May 2017, Sancho was part of the England under-17 team that reached the final of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He was named the best player of the tournament. In September 2017, Sancho was chosen for England's squad for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. His new club, Borussia Dortmund, did not want him to go. They eventually agreed that he could play in the group stages. On October 8, 2017, he scored two goals in England U17's first match against Chile. On October 16, during England's game against Japan, Borussia Dortmund called him back from the competition.

On November 2, 2017, Sancho was called up to the England U19 squad for the first time. He joined them for 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification matches. He started his first U19 game in a 6–0 win against the Faroe Islands. He scored the only goal against Bulgaria, helping England win their group. On March 21, 2018, Sancho scored a goal in England's 4–1 win over Hungary.

Senior England Team

After a great start to the 2018–19 season, Sancho was called up to the England senior squad. This was his first call-up. He made his debut on October 12, 2018, as a substitute against Croatia. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. On March 22, 2019, Sancho started his first competitive match for England. They won 5–0 against the Czech Republic in a Euro 2020 qualifier.

In September, Sancho scored his first goals for the senior team. He scored two goals in a 5–3 home win over Kosovo on September 10. This was also a Euro 2020 qualifier.

On July 11, 2021, Sancho came on as a substitute in the UEFA Euro 2020 final against Italy. He took England's fourth penalty in the shootout, but the goalkeeper saved it. England lost 3–2 on penalties. After the loss, Sancho, along with Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, faced unkind messages on social media.

Sancho was not included in England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro 2024.

Playing Style

Jadon Sancho is known as a fast, very skilled, and creative player. He has excellent dribbling skills and great ball control. He is known for his clever moves and feints when playing against one defender. During his time at Dortmund, he was seen as one of the world's best young players.

He is especially good at getting past opponents and creating chances for his teammates. He can also score goals himself. Sancho often played as a second striker or wide midfielder for Borussia Dortmund. He usually played on either wing in their 4–2–3–1 formation. Dortmund's focus on young players helped Sancho play a key role in attack. He played alongside other talented young stars like Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna, and Jude Bellingham.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Sancho goal

List of international goals scored by Jadon Sancho

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	10 September 2019	St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England	8	Kosovo	4–1	5–3	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
2					5–1
3	12 November 2020	Wembley Stadium, London, England	16	Republic of Ireland	2–0	3–0	Friendly

Trophies and Awards

Borussia Dortmund

• DFB-Pokal: 2020–21
• DFL-Supercup: 2019
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2023–24

Manchester United

• EFL Cup: 2022–23

Chelsea

• UEFA Conference League: 2024–25

England U17

• FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2017

England

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020

Individual Awards

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Golden Player: 2017
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2017
• Bundesliga Player of the Month: October 2018, February 2020, February 2021
• Bundesliga Goal of the Month: February 2019
• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20
• VDV Newcomer of the Season: 2018–19
• VDV Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20
• Goal.com NxGn: 2019
• DFB-Pokal top scorer: 2020–21

See also

In Spanish: Jadon Sancho para niños