‘He’s a rough diamond… he’ll get there’: Thomas Delaney hails Borussia Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho but warns England not to put too much pressure on teenage wonderkid
- Jadon Sancho will play a senior club match in England for the first time this week
- Sancho’s Borussia Dortmund are in London to face Tottenham on Wednesday
- Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney described Sancho as a ‘rough diamond’
- And Delaney urged the English fans and media not to over-hype the 18-year-old
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney has warned the country not to expect too much from Jadon Sancho ahead of his meeting with Tottenham.
Eighteen-year-old Sancho is set for a highly-anticipated first senior club appearance in England on Wednesday night when the Bundesliga leaders play Spurs in the last-16 of the Champions League.
Sancho is viewed as one of the most talented young players in Europe after a season that has seen him score seven times in 21 games from the wing.
Jadon Sancho pictured at Wembley on Tuesday on the eve of Dortmund’s game with Spurs
And the hype has reached fever pitch ahead of his return to his hometown – which he managed to travel to despite initially forgetting his passport.
But while team-mate Delaney heavily praised the winger, he added some caveats.
‘Jaden is a big, big talent,’ said the Danish international.
‘With talent comes opportunities and he has them for sure.
‘He’s still 18 years old. He’s done amazing at the moment but for him he’s not where he’s supposed to be.
‘He’s a rough diamond… he’ll get there. I feel a little bit responsible for keeping him on the ground.
‘You’re world famous for hyping your young players and we’re trying to keep him on the ground.
‘No doubt he has a big, big future but it takes hard work and taking everything seriously.’
In a press conference, Dortmund’s Thomas Delaney described Sancho as a ‘rough diamond’
And asked whether Sancho, who was capped twice by Gareth Southgate in November, had warned his team-mates what to expect from his international colleagues, Delaney added: ‘He hasn’t told us much.
‘I personally don’t think my team-mates have to prepare. We all know these guys.
‘There’s nothing to prepare for in that regard. They’re all well known players at a high level.’
Spurs are missing Harry Kane and Dele Alli, but Lucien Favre refused to see that as a positive.
‘As I said before,’ he said, ‘I can’t talk about missing players. There are a lot missing but it will be a very full squad (for Spurs).
‘They’re a couple of points behind Liverpool in the Premier League and it says a lot.’
Teenager Sancho has scored seven times in 21 games from the wing for Dortmund this season