Former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic says Jadon Sancho needs to be treated in ‘a special way’ and has offered advice to Unai Emery on how to manage the 25-year-old amid his difficult start to life at Aston Villa.
Sancho joined the West Midlands club on loan from Manchester United this summer and has struggled to hit the ground running, making just four Premier League appearances off the bench.
The England international has yet to register a goal contribution for Villa in his eight games across all competitions and has played just 336 minutes of football so far this season.
Terzic, who guided Dortmund to the Champions League final in 2024, said working with Sancho involves ‘talking to the professional but also to the kid’ and revealed that keeping him smiling is key to getting the best out of the forward.
Edin Terzic Speaks Out on Jadon Sancho
Edin Terzic
Speaking to Sky Sports, Terzic compared Sancho to his former Borussia Dortmund teammate Jude Bellingham and shared advice on getting the best out of the Aston Villa loanee:
“First of all, Jadon is special. Why? Because if the game is in the 75th minute and 0-0, you want him to get on the ball because you know that he is going to make something special happen.
“If you are expecting something special, then you also have to treat him in a special way and I think the most important thing for Jadon... if you compare him to Jude (Bellingham), you need to keep Jude hungry, and Jadon, you need to keep him smiling.
“If you talk to the joy of the kid inside Jadon, then you're going to get the best out of him. If he's smiling, he's going to make a difference.
“It's a mix of talking to the professional in Jadon, but also to the kid in Jadon.”
Sancho has no future at Man United under Ruben Amorim and is expected to leave Old Trafford after the season, when his contract expires.
The 25-year-old winger never made a single appearance under the Portuguese tactician at United, having spent last season on loan at Chelsea, where he scored five goals in 41 games.
Sancho last scored a Premier League goal in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich in April, which remains his only top-flight goal contribution in the last 10 months.
Aston Villa are sixth in the Premier League after 11 games and next visit Leeds on Sunday, November 23, following the international break.