Jadon Sancho has made history as the first Manchester United player to reach the Champions League final in thirteen years. The 23-year-old English winger, formerly part of the Borussia Dortmund squad, helped his team secure a 2-0 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain to advance to the tournament’s final.

Mats Hummels sealed Dortmund’s qualification with his goal during the match. This achievement marks the first time a United player has reached the UCL final since 2011.

Since then, Manchester United has not progressed beyond the quarter-finals, last achieving that feat in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson’s management.

Sancho’s successful spell at Dortmund raises questions about his future at Old Trafford, as there are doubts about his return to Manchester upon the expiration of his loan deal with the German club.

Just six months ago, Jadon Sancho found himself in no man’s land. Exiled by Manchester United due to a falling out with Erik ten Hag, he wasn’t even training with his teammates. Questions arose about his attitude and professionalism.

Despite the Red Devils showing no interest in playing the Englishman, there was almost a reluctance from European clubs to make a move for him.

Fast-forward half a year, and Sancho finds himself as a Champions League finalist, potentially just 90 minutes away from winning the biggest club competition in the world.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for the forward, illustrating how quickly fortunes can change in football. But how did he reach this point? A lifeline from a former club, a whole lot of hard work, and a star-making show against one of Europe’s biggest teams.

After joining United in 2021, the Red Devils thought they’d signed one of the most promising young forwards in the world.

Considering his performances for Borussia Dortmund in Germany, why wouldn’t they? Instead, though, he struggled in Manchester and didn’t even come close to replicating the level of output he was creating in the Bundesliga.

His form was way too inconsistent and the situation quickly frustrated both the club and Sancho himself. It all reached a boiling point when he was dropped by Ten Hag at the start of the 2023/24 season, with the manager publicly questioning his attitude and work rate in training. The Englishman hit back with a now-deleted statement on social media, and the relationship between the two crumbled.

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