Benni McCarthy, former Man Utd coach and ex-professional, has opened up on Jadon Sancho’s challenging spell under Erik ten Hag, offering rare insight into when the winger’s struggles began to show.
“I couldn’t fault Jadon in training. He brings unbelievable quality, ability and skills,” McCarthy told BetOnline. “He can make you stop in awe and ask yourself just how he can do things. He brought unmatched quality.”
But the former forward also pinpointed a key issue: Sancho’s reserved nature off the pitch, which may have given Erik ten Hag and his Utd team-mates the wrong impression.
“I think what didn’t help Jadon was that he’s a very closed-off person. He keeps to himself, and from the outside it looked like he wasn’t trying to make friends with his team-mates.
He might not have joked around but really he was just quiet, and I don’t think you should judge players on who he gets on with or not.”
McCarthy emphasized that the winger’s quiet personality shouldn’t overshadow his talent or work ethic.
“Based on his ability and craft, I never saw any problems in his relationships. He was quiet-natured, and so when training is done, he doesn’t stay to talk, he heads home. He’s very private. I think a bit of an introvert, which isn’t the opinion he gets branded with in the press.”
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But when it came to consistency, McCarthy explained where the cracks began to appear.
“I think that when it came to Erik, he wanted to see Jadon at his best every day. Monday to Friday, no days off. I think that’s what the manager would expect from his players, and so it’s up to the players to give it to him. If you can’t do that, you’re going to have problems, and I think the differences and problems then surfaced.”
Despite the difficulties, McCarthy reserved praise for Sancho’s moments of brilliance.
“For me, I don’t have a bad thing to say about Jadon. I loved him; he was unbelievable, sometimes he was unplayable. I don’t want to rush to judgement on players if they’re reserved.”
Sancho’s time at Man Utd has been a rollercoaster. After a mixed loan spell at Chelsea, who reportedly paid to opt out of signing him permanently, he’s nailed on to leave Old Trafford this summer.
Reports now suggest Juventus have offered three players to Utd in a swap deal as they eye Sancho’s signature.