Before moving to Chelsea, Jadon Sancho would often “snuck out” to London, according to former Manchester United assistant coach Benni McCarthy, who also thinks the winger has the ability to “be a special player again.”
A public falling out with head coach Erik ten Hag tainted Sancho’s time at United and ultimately resulted in his departure. McCarthy, who coworked with Ten Hag at Old Trafford until this summer, emphasized a communication breakdown between the manager and Sancho, implying that this was a significant contributing element to the player’s difficulties at the team. He said that Sancho’s regular visits to London demonstrated his affinity for the city and its traditions.
What was said by McCarthy
McCarthy discussed Sancho in an interview with the On The Whistle podcast, saying:
“He’s a great boy, great character, fantastic footballer, unbelievable the things that he can do.” I felt Jadon was the kind of player who would thrive wearing a United shirt, so I found it really unfortunate that things didn’t work out for him there. But regrettably, I believe that a contributing factor in why things didn’t work out with Sanch was a lack of understanding and communication.”
Regarding Sancho’s fondness for London, McCarthy went on to say:
“He’s closer to home because he did sneak out to come to London quite a bit.” Thus, it’s likely that he felt homesick and yearned to be a little bit nearer to his loved ones and his culture. Given how powerful London culture is, I believe Jadon could have desired more of it. That explains why he persisted. He spent a lot of time in London.”
McCarthy thinks Sancho might flourish once again and return to his peak at Chelsea given the correct circumstances and assistance.
