"That's where he needs credit" - Rio Ferdinand makes bold claims about Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho ahead of UEFA Champions League final
Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho deserves credit for reviving his career at Borussia Dortmund. He believes that the last few months have shown that the Englishman has the character to rebuild himself.
Speaking on talkSPORT ahead of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, Ferdinand heaped praise on Sancho. He stated that the debate can continue on who was right in the fight between the Manchester United loanee and Erik ten Hag, but the winger has shown that he can do well on the pitch.
Ferdinand said:
"A lot has been said about him, a lot of it negative, and I think it's about time people really give him a little bit of credit. Because I think it's been a really difficult period for him. He's been criticized, rightly or wrongly. The situation that happened between him and the manager, we can debate who was right and who was wrong."
He added:
"But he has been criticized heavily, confidence has been very low, he went into a period of isolation in terms of training away from the squad. Now he's gone away to Dortmund to rebuild himself, as a footballer, as a human being, and he has come out the other side. Whether he wins the Champions League or not, what he's achieved in this short little period of time has to be looked at and you go, 'You know what? This kid's got character.' He's got personality, he's built of the right stuff and I think that's where he needs credit."
Sancho is expected to start for Borussia Dortmund when they take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag coy on Jadon Sancho's Manchester United future
Erik ten Hag was quizzed in April if he had changed his mind on adding Jadon Sancho back to the Manchester United squad next season. He did not mince his words and stated that while they know the winger is a 'fantastic player', that was not the issue.
The manager hinted that he is still waiting for an apology and said:
"No, but we know Jadon Sancho is a fantastic football player, so that is not a surprise for us. That is not the issue."
Sancho and Ten Hag fell out at Manchester United after the Englishman posted a statement on social media. He claimed that the manager was making him a scapegoat by saying that he was not training well.