Jadon Sancho on His London Roots, Playing For England & Making People Proud

Sancho’s stock just hasn’t stopped rising over the last 12-18 months, and with the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark he has yet another opportunity to show the world what he’s all about. And such is his ability and confidence that you just wouldn’t put it past him to absolutely steal the show. But ahead of those games and following our last chat on the back of his first signature line from Nike, we once again got the opportunity to speak with the mild mannered man from London in a far broader conversation that took in everything from his move to Germany to what he does in his downtime and what has and continues to motivate him.

The Euros are just around the corner and you’ve got the possibility of playing in your own backyard for your country at a major tournament. How mad is that?

Yeah, it’s kind of crazy. Hopefully I’ll be involved in the setup and hopefully I get my opportunity to play. I’d like to make the country proud, and hopefully we can go far in the competition, because we do have the players to go far. I need to look back at what it was like in ’96 when the Euros were last in England.

Nike opened up that pitch in South London not long ago with you. Do you like the opportunity to get involved with stuff that gives back to London?

I thought it was really nice of Nike to give me the opportunity to open a pitch in my area. And it shows that if you believe in something and you work hard you can do great things in life and I’m sure that people respect that. For me, from my area the kids look up to me and I hope that they have the same drive that I have.

What message would you give to young kids from London in regards to distractions that could lead you away from your path, instead of focussing on your talents?

It’s hard to give a message because everyone’s life is very different. The people around them might not be as motivational as the people that I had around me, but the message I’d give to the younger players or younger kids that are in that situation, I would say life is always going to be tough. If life was easy then a lot of people would be in this position, and the world wouldn’t be the same. You’ve got to work for the things you want. It’s a mix of hard work, dedication, maybe a bit of luck. Sometimes you’ve got to take the risks where others may not. And just never give up on your dream.

You’ve touched on being lucky enough to have the right people around you. Can you tell us a little about that influence?

Obviously my dad and other people that I had close relationships with, these guys, they always took me to football. My mum couldn’t because I had other siblings, and it was difficult because both of them couldn’t make it, so I’d have to go on a train journey by myself. But they were very motivated, very happy to see me going to training, so that pushed me.

I feel like everything is a process. So you’ve got to be patient in what you do. Obviously I took a massive risk coming to Germany. I had a lot of people doubting me saying why are you leaving City, but I just felt like it was the right time for me, especially after the Euros, because I did well in the Euros"

It must be amazing for them to see. Can you describe how it feels to make so many people proud and happy?

It’s a great feeling. Seeing my mum happy is the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve seen her crying, seen her doing a lot of things, but the position that I’ve put her in now is just a great feeling. Hopefully that could be a message for other kids too, to motivate them.

You’ve spoken in the past about Raheem Sterling being a player that you look up to. What is it about him not just as a player, but as a public figure?

I just feel that he handles situations really well. There was a time when the media was just on him, and to see how he’s handled it and to see the role model he’s become today just made me respect him a lot more. When I talk to him you can just bounce off his aura; he’s just a great person. He’s from London as well so it’s better, we understand each others game. It’s nice.

Do you find that you just click straight away with people like that?

Of course. I feel like if you’re from London then you automatically click with the same type of people, because you’ve kind of been through the same things; you’ve had to do a lot of things to get you out of sticky situations. You can just relate with each other.

When life’s looking pretty nice now, do you ever think back to those times?

I never thought in a million years that this was possible. It was always a dream to make it to this position, but again, I think back to where I came from, all the hard work that I’ve put in, I feel like I just kind of deserve it. But that doesn’t mean that the work stops. There’s more things to win and more things to achieve.

How would you describe yourself now then? You’re confident on the pitch, but how are you off it?

In Germany there’s a few things that I still need to work on. Sometimes I’m late to training and it’s things like this that I need to work on, because I have a sleep problem. Little things like that, where I need to be a little more professional and put things right. But I’m working on it and the club’s helping me and the team is helping me. Slowly but surely, as I get older, I feel like I’m learning new things. People do say that I’m very mature for my age. I guess leaving home and learning things for myself has helped with that.

A lot of the current England team are close enough in age to have known each other from the youth setup. Do you feel that closeness in the camp in a personal way as well?

Yeah, you feel comfortable as soon as you join them. They don’t make you feel uncomfortable and they’re willing to open up as well. They’re great professionals. Especially the coach as well. He knows how to handle the big players as well as the players that are coming up.

As a young player are you still nervous walking into the England senior setup?

The first two times I was nervous, but because the team are so welcoming you get comfortable pretty quickly. You’ve got people like Raheem telling you to be fearless – you’re here for a reason. And that’s a great thing to hear, especially when you’re a young kid. So the first two times were nerve racking, because you feel like you’ve got to impress, because if you don’t you might not get selected again. But after a while that goes out of your head and you just play your game.

There’s a little smile on your face when you talk about playing for England. Does just the thought of it do that?

Yeah, it’s crazy that I made my debut at the age of 19. A lot of people that make their debut are around 22, so for me to make my debut so young, it was a crazy feeling. I’m just grateful that I’ve been put in a position to be able to do that.

You’ve described yourself as a street footballer. Can you pick your own five-a-side street team?

What, off the bat right now? Anyone in the world? Right, Neymar’s there. Robinho. This is basically going to be a Brazilian five-a-side team. Ronaldinho. Put myself in there! Don’t need a keeper… and Ronaldo. Brazilian. So yeah, it’s the Brazilian five-a-side team x Sancho.

Nice. Do you think that Brazilian style reflects who you are then a little bit?

Yeah, just watching YouTube clips of Ronaldinho, he was my idol. What he used to do on the pitch was just crazy. He used to make it look so easy. He tried different things and he wasn’t scared.

Perfect lead in to the next question: type Jadon Sancho into YouTube and the amount of skills and goals compilations is mad. Do you ever watch them?

Yeah? Nah, I’ve never checked.

You ever been tempted to look? Mad to think there’s people sat at home making those about you…

I’m usually on there watching people! Obviously I see clips of my game after the game, looking to see what I can improve on, but I don’t watch the stuff that people make.

Do you ever look on YouTube and see stuff that you then try to incorporate in your game?

Yeah, of course, that’s why I watch players everyday. Neymar is the kind of player that I can relate to now. I feel like he’s so effective one v one and he creates so many opportunities for other players. So I feel like I can kind of relate to what he does. When he was at Barcelona, he was doing madness.

Do you set aside time to look at videos then?

Yeah, being in Germany I’ve got a lot of free time after training. So it’s either that or playing Playstation.

How much of your game is instinctive then? Do you ever see a clip of something you’ve done and think “didn’t mean to do that”?

Somedays I think of what I’d like to do in a game, but realistically sometimes it will just never happen. But again, I just go off the other player’s reactions – whatever skill is right at that moment I will try and do it.

Seeing my mum happy is the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve seen her crying, seen her doing a lot of things, but the position that I’ve put her in now is just a great feeling"

Have you had any friends over to experience the Yellow Wall?

Yeah, they said it was crazy. When they come over the experience is always mad.

Did you expect it to be that wild?

No way, it’s just crazy. Going straight to 80,000 people, it’s just mad.

The likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, they all started out as kids with talent as well. Going back to that question about advice that you’d pass on, how much do you think is about making your own luck?

I feel like everything is a process. So you’ve got to be patient in what you do. Obviously I took a massive risk coming to Germany. I had a lot of people doubting me saying why are you leaving City, but I just felt like it was the right time for me, especially after the Euros, because I did well in the Euros. I felt like that was a clip for me to say I feel like I’m ready. I showed my ability and what I could do and I got best player. I felt that at City I was not going to get an opportunity, because they have so many great players, you know how City are. I felt I had to go somewhere where they would give the opportunity. Borussia Dortmund ticked that box. At the time Christian Pulisic was playing, but I knew I’d get a shot over there.

You don’t strike us as the type to get particularly star-struck by anyone, but have there been moments where you’ve got to shake someones hand and you’ve had to check yourself?

Yeah, Messi, Mbappe, Neymar. Those three. That was kind of mind blowing. Mbappe’s near me in age, but what he’s done, you have to respect it. Won the World Cup at such a young age, carried the team… hats off to him. That’s a great player right there. And obviously Neymar, I look up to him. I see me as him. I relate to what he does on the pitch. And then Messi just speaks for itself. Best player in the world.

We saw that video a while back from the England camp with you and Harry Maguire…

Yeah, that shocked me as well. Obviously it’s funny because he dropped, but I didn’t understand it, because I wasn’t even that close to him. I think it was just because of how sharp it was, it might have just thrown him off. I was new to training so he might not have expected something like that. Now he understands that the stop and start does come, he’s more aware. But I feel that when you play against a new opponent they don't know what’s coming, so they just get rattled [laughs].

You get some pundits that would look at Neymar and think that he’s taking the piss. Do you agree with that?

I don’t think it’s taking the piss. When Ronaldinho was doing his skills, no one said he was taking the piss. Football’s about expressing yourself. Remember he’s coming from street football as well. He’s just bringing it into the modern game. People just don’t expect these kind of things. You’ve got to repost people like that, who try new things. Sometimes it might not work, but it’s all about taking risks. If you don’t shoot, you don’t score…

Do you get much verbal abuse on the pitch from opponents?

I wouldn’t say that. It’s more like, with me, if someone does a dirty challenge, I can tell if it’s intentional or not. And if it is then I’ll say something. I just try to stay focused. I know I’m a skilful player and people are out there to just make my life hell, and it’s just how I deal with it. One touch, two touch, and then just knowing when to do the skill.

So you don’t necessarily lose your cool, you just channel it into your play?

Sometimes, but if they connect with me then I can be rattled. But obviously I keep my head in the game. I don’t want to be sent off and ruin it for my team. I’m there to help my team.

Away from football, you had to move away from home at a young age. How many of those friends are you still in touch with?

Yeah, quite a few of them. I stay in touch through Instagram. They know my situation – I can’t just pop down. But I can send them shirts and things like that and they appreciate that. But I’m thankful they’re still around as well.

When you do get some downtime how do you usually spend it?

On the occasions when we do get some time I like to go on holiday, just get away in the sun and just relax. Family is most important to me so I like to spend it with them.

A lot of the current England team are close enough in age to have known each other from the youth setup. Do you feel that closeness in the camp in a personal way as well?

Yeah, you feel comfortable as soon as you join them. They don’t make you feel uncomfortable and they’re willing to open up as well. They’re great professionals. Especially the coach as well. He knows how to handle the big players as well as the players that are coming up.

Going back to your move abroad. Do you think if you hadn’t been a footballer you still would’ve had the hunger to explore the world?

I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you what I would’ve done if I wasn’t a footballer.

Looking back now from where you are, guess there’s no regrets about leaving City?

Not at all.

You took that number 7 shirt pretty quickly at Dortmund. Was that a sign of how confident you were that you’d succeed out there?

For me, I don’t really look at the numbers. A number is a number. I could make 99 a great number. It’s how you play on the pitch. Obviously Ousmane Dembele had just left, so there was a big thing about the number seven shirt. But yeah, I just took it.

Mbappe’s near me in age, but what he’s done, you have to respect it. Won the World Cup at such a young age, carried the team… hats off to him"

Do you think if you stay at a club and play under 23s that your career is sort of on hold?

No, not at all. It’s about patience. You can’t rush things. Everything happens for a reason. If it was meant to be this year that I broke through, then I’d be more than happy. I’m still young at the end of the day. But obviously I was lucky enough that I had the coaches that had faith in me, and they took a chance. The last few years have gone so quick for me and I’m enjoying the journey.

Dortmund’s front three of yourself, Haaland and Reyna against PSG were all born in England. Do you ever talk about that?

Yeah I heard something about that. I didn’t know it before to be fair. I played against Haaland in the under 17 Euros, played him in the first game. But he didn’t have the same hairstyle back then, so I didn’t recognise him. It’s crazy how you can play against someone when you’re younger, and then everything just flips around.

How good was he when he arrived?

He made a big impact. We have someone who can hold the ball and link with the 10. Before we had Paco Alcacer, who was doing his thing, but sometimes you need the variety of both. Pack used to like to drop deep, play a one two, whereas Haaland is more about the runs in behind.

You look like you’ve clicked nicely with Haaland. Did you expect that or is it an added bonus?

It happens with most people on the team. Honestly, when you train with them day-in, day-out you understand what they like and what they don’t like and I can adapt my play around them. Like with Marco Reus, you could see last year straight away I understood what he wanted.

That PSG team, you’ve mentioned Neymar and Mbappe, but when you see them on the pitch, what goes through your head from a motivation point of view?

It’s crazy. In the first leg of the Champions League I was playing on Neymar’s side. It’s mad. You could feel it on the pitch. In the warm up you could see our players looking at them.

Do you think players look at you like that now?

I don’t know. It doesn’t really go through my head. Someone would have to tell me.

There’s always talk of moves linking you with Premier League clubs. Do you ever wish that would just go away?

No, the media’s the media. They’re always going to try and create a story, but this is how you manage it. For me, I just focus on my football. I just want to do what’s best for my team and win titles at the end of the day.

You obviously grew up watching the Premier League, but now do you find yourself watching more Bundesliga?

Yeah, of course, I watch a lot of Bundesliga. When you’re younger you support a team, but then when you actually play for a team, you support them, because you want them to do well.

How tough was the move to Germany then, have you tried to learn German for example?

Yeah, I tried to learn German. But for me, going from the pitch to trying to learn German… it clashes with my head! I don’t really take in information when I’m tired. I know the training terms in German, but as far as full conversation goes, I only know a few things.

What was it like moving out there, away from home comforts?

When I went into year seven I went to boarding school, so from then I left home, and from Monday to Friday I was in boarding school. Watford saw potential in me, but they didn’t want it ruined by the area I was in. So my dad made sure that I went to that school. Obviously I didn’t want to move, because I wanted to be with my mum. At that time I didn’t want to know anyone else. Friends, family, coaches; that was it.

They were all wealthy kids there. They had everything.

You can have all the things in the world, but some people would love to just be a gifted footballer…

It’s true, but I feel that if you work hard on your dream, then you can be successful at it. It’s just how you go about it.

When Ronaldinho was doing his skills, no one said he was taking the piss. Football’s about expressing yourself. Remember he’s coming from street football as well. He’s just bringing it into the modern game. People just don’t expect these kind of things"

What goes through your head now when people put your name alongside a £100 million transfer fee?

I guess it’s a nice feeling to be worth so much, but again, I don’t really look at it that much. For me it’s about doing well for my team and doing well for myself as well. When I have a shit game I’m just down. I feel shit about myself. So I always like having a good game and showing people what I can do. I know what I can do, and if I play bad then I’m just pissed off with myself. Next game I’ll try and improve on whatever I’ve done wrong.

A lot of people forget that footballers are human beings at the end of the day…

Yeah. A lot of people get judged on just their performances. It can get you down if you really look into it. Obviously I don’t look into it, so I’m OK. But if you do look into it, it can get in your head. It’s a shit feeling. Again, that’s how football is.

What about the crossover between football and fashion, is that something you’re into?

I’ve got a few friends that are into fashion, and for me, I like looking nice. See if Bellerin is a 10, I’m like a five. Five is breezy.

Do you think that could change over the years and you may want to get into it?

Um… yeah, why not. Football’s not going to last forever.

Are there any other sports and athletes that you look at and admire?

LeBron James. Basketball is fun. NFL is fun. Actually, I’m not sure about NFL, but basketball is cool. I think with NFL my head would just explode.

Have you made it to any of the NBA games in London or Paris?

No. Because I live in Germany I’m just not around.

Is there a part of you that ever thinks “I’m there now”, or are you always striving for more?

No way, this is just the start. For me, because I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, I just didn’t want to live there, and I thought that if I just stuck to this, the things that I could do could help my family, and obviously my kids in the future. I just don’t want them to grow up how I grew up.

What was it around your area that you could see when you were growing up?

It was a load of mad things. I saw my friends going to prison, and when you’re involved with your friends that are doing this stuff, if they start a fight for example, you have to back them automatically. And fights could end up as anything. Death even. You just never knew. I just knew that football was a way out.

Because I wasn’t too bad I had people telling me that I had something.

Do you treasure your England shirts and other memorabilia?

Yeah, absolutely. My debut shirt is framed and it has everyone’s signature. The top that I scored my first goal in is framed. Every shirt is special though, because you’re representing your home.

And finally, what do you think of the New England shirt that you'll be wearing from now through to the Euro's next summer?

It’s proper clean. See, with the England kit, I just like white in general. My favourite shoe is a white Air Force One. You can’t beat them. Too clean. White can go with anything.

Shop the Nike x Jadon Sancho collection on prodirectsoccer.com