Unai Emery has backed Jadon Sancho to return to the England squad if he rediscovers his form on loan from Manchester United
Jadon Sancho spent last season on loan at Chelsea
Jadon Sancho spent last season on loan at Chelsea(Image: Paul Currie/Shutterstock)
Unai Emery insists that Jadon Sancho is still hungry to realise his potential and has backed the winger to return to the England squad if he can rediscover his best form.
Sancho joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United on deadline day, following a spell at Chelsea last season where he featured in 31 Premier League matches.
In the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund for a second spell and helped the Bundesliga side reach the Champions League final.
His time at United, however, has been disappointing, and he was in urgent need of a fresh start to reignite his career.
It was a similar story for Marcus Rashford at the start of this year, as he regained his confidence while working under Emery during a loan spell from United.
Sancho will be in Villa’s squad to face Everton on Saturday, and Emery is excited to work with him in the coming weeks and months.
"When Leon Bailey left, it was a moment for us to assess the players we had identified through our scouting,” Emery said when asked about recruiting Sancho.
“We then had the opportunity to make a signing - and one of the players on our list was Jadon Sancho.
“He’s capable of playing on both the right and left wings, and he provides something different. He’s a good player - 25 years old - and I felt he performed very well last year at Chelsea.
“Yes, he had some problems at Manchester United, but during his time at Borussia Dortmund, he performed fantastic.
“He’s also played 25 times for England. He’s still young, still hungry, and has the ability to show his skills and qualities.
“Hopefully, we can bring out the best in him here. In the last few years, he’s played more on the left, but at Dortmund, he was more often on the right. Here, I see him being able to play in both of those positions."
Sancho hasn't played for England in four years, last appearing for his country in October 2021. However, Emery is confident that the 25-year-old can earn a return to the Three Lions squad if he performs well.
"Yes, of course,” he claimed when asked if Sancho can play for England again. “This is my objective - to help him get back to his best. If he does that, he will come back to the national team. Every player wants to be part of their national team.”