Jadon Sancho has been named in the senior England squad, just over a year after deciding to leave Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in the quest for first-team football.

BBC Sport takes a closer look at the 18-year-old winger's rapid progression.

Sancho decides to leave City

Sancho, at the age of 17, made the brave decision to leave Premier League title favourites Manchester City - and the tutelage of Pep Guardiola - last summer.

The England youth international joined City from Watford at the age of 14 and played regularly in 2016-17 in the under-18 league and the Uefa Youth League - as well as seven appearances in the Premier League 2, England's reserve league.

City had offered him a new deal and planned to take him to the United States for their pre-season tour last summer.

But, worried about his first-team chances, Sancho turned down the deal - which Guardiola said he had already agreed to sign - with the manager adding that the teenager then stopped turning up for training after City returned from the US.

German writer Raphael Honigstein said on this week's BBC Euro Leagues Football Show: "Sancho didn't believe City when they said he'd get chances."

Football journalist Julien Laurens added: "Manchester City's side of things is disappointing. When you have that talent in your academy, they've invested a lot of time and money into him, and then they never finished the whole experiment with Jadon Sancho.

"I think it's such a shame we don't see him in a City shirt working with Pep Guardiola."

Dortmund sign Sancho - and give him number seven shirt

Sancho made the surprise move to Borussia Dortmund on deadline day in the summer of 2017 - and was instantly given the squad number left vacant by Ousmane Dembele's £135.5m switch to Barcelona - seven.

"I would have taken any number but getting seven was a big boost to my confidence," he told BBC Sport in February. "It doesn't faze me. It is about coming here and proving myself."

However, he was left out of their Champions League squad and was still waiting for clearance to play in the Bundesliga several weeks into last season because of Fifa's checks on international moves involving players under the age of 18.

Sancho recalled from Under-17 World Cup - and gets his Dortmund career going
The teenager was called up to the England Under-17 World Cup squad in October 2017, although Dortmund only allowed him to go to India after protracted negotiations.

Sancho scored three goals in three group games - but was then recalled by the German club before the knockout stages.

England U17 boss Steve Cooper said: "I can only imagine Dortmund want him back to play in their first team at the weekend and I assume he will be starting for them, because I can't think of a reason why you would take a player away from a World Cup."

Sancho duly made his Dortmund debut days later, as a late substitute against Eintracht Frankfurt, and also featured against Bayern Munich two weeks later.

England went on to win the Under-17 World Cup, with Sancho getting a winner's medal.

A spell out of the Dortmund team - during which he made his England Under-19 debut - was followed by three consecutive Bundesliga starts that saw him assist his first goal in a 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin, before a ligament injury kept him out for eight games.

"He's showed some unbelievable touches since getting into the Dortmund team in the winter," said Honigstein. "But he has also been a bit inconsistent and made strange decisions, but that's probably a function of his youth."

Sancho scores first Dortmund goal

Jadon Sancho became the youngest Englishman to score in the Bundesliga
He got back into the Dortmund team after recovering from his injury - and scored the first senior goal of his career, as well as assisting with two more, in a 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on 21 April.

Moments after missing a one-on-one, Sancho controlled Christian Pulisic's pass before curling home from 16 yards. He then set up Maximilian Philipp and Marco Reus.

After that performance, Philipp said: "His acceleration is brutal, he can do a lot of damage with his quick changes of direction.

He ended the season with one goal and four assists from 12 Bundesliga games, including seven starts.

Sancho faces old side in pre-season

Sancho faced City in Chicago in July - a year after he was due to go to the United States with the English club.

The winger impressed with his quick feet and ability to take men on as the Bundesliga side beat the Premier League champions 1-0.

He said afterwards: "I had a point to prove and I think I did well. The manager says I need to release the ball a bit quicker. I do show off a bit sometimes, which is not that good.

"I need to cut that out but I will benefit from the games I played last season. I have got my bearings now, so hopefully I will be better."

Sancho's electric start earns him new contract

Sancho scores first goal of season as Dortmund win 7-0

He has had a brilliant start to the 2018-19 season and has set up more goals than any player in Europe's top five leagues - without even starting a Bundesliga match.

The Londoner has set up five league goals in as many substitute appearances, despite only being on the pitch for 124 minutes in total in the league. Since joining,

he has set up a goal every 73.5 minutes he has played in the Bundesliga.

Sancho also scored his second Dortmund goal in a 7-0 win over Nuremberg last week.

He has started both Champions League games this season - assisting Jacob Bruun Larsen's goal in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Monaco.

BBC Radio 5 live's Steve Crossman said: "He is absolutely flying. His assist during the week was a nutmeg - and I believe he has been getting told off in training for nutmegging his team-mates."

He has set up a total of eight goals this season, including one in the German Cup against lower league Greuther Furth.

Despite this, German journalist Honigstein does not think he is ready to be a regular starter.

"He's already shown himself to be much more composed and efficient in his decision making this season," he said. "He'll do stuff that is maybe not quite the right thing but his unpredictability helps him to get past players and do something really special.

"Dortmund have a lot of players in those positions - Mario Gotze isn't even making it into the squad. So there will be rotation. Dortmund's game and the modern game for these attacking players is they will play every other game or play 60 minutes and then come off.

"That's the best he can hope for - in both senses of the word. It's not good for his development to start every single game right now, it would be too much on his body and mental pressure.

"But he knows he is one of the 14 or 15 regulars - he's ahead of schedule. It almost doesn't matter whether he starts or has a really impactful, good 30 minutes."

On Tuesday, he signed a contract extension keeping him with Dortmund until 2022.

Sancho makes England squad

Often we hold young players back - Southgate
He was a surprise name in England's senior squad for the Nations League games against Croatia and Spain in October - bypassing the Under-21s entirely for now.

Sancho is the first player born this century to be called up by England.

Speaking about the teenager and fellow new call-ups James Maddison and Mason Mount, boss Gareth Southgate said: "It aligns with what we have done in the last 18 months.

"We've got a few injuries in the midfield. Then we have a decision on which way we want to use that opportunity. We think there are some exciting young players that we've been tracking, either through their clubs or our junior teams.

"This is a great opportunity for us to look at them."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45752549

Quite a rise for the young man.

German writer Raphael Honigstein said on this week's BBC Euro Leagues Football Show: "Sancho didn't believe City when they said he'd get chances."
Football journalist Julien Laurens added: "Manchester City's side of things is disappointing. When you have that talent in your academy, they've invested a lot of time and money into him, and then they never finished the whole experiment with Jadon Sancho.
"I think it's such a shame we don't see him in a City shirt working with Pep Guardiola."

Yeah, it is disappointing. City invested a lot of time and money into Sancho and there's zero chance in hell he was going to get anywhere near the bench, let alone the first team. Foden is easily more talented and the best he gets are occasional sub appearances.

Sancho made absolutely the correct decision in my mind, and encouraging other youngsters to do the same may force EPL sides to actually take care of their academy products.

Jadon Sancho became the youngest Englishman to score in the Bundesliga

lol how many englishmen have played in the budesliga!?

Owen Hargreaves ;)

great decision, epl is not the environment for unproven players. moving to bundesliga and ligue1, the best place to gain experience, form and confidence. so many success story from bundesliga: kdb, sane, ozil, firmino, future is bright.

Owen Hargreaves

You mean Robb Starke?

Foden should leave too... He looked way too good in preseason to be sitting around behind David Silva and KDB.

Sancho made absolutely the correct decision in my mind, and encouraging other youngsters to do the same may force EPL sides to actually take care of their academy products.

Yeah, it's a shame low number of English Players playing in the actual teams they might as well go to the other big 5 leagues around Europe.

I know at Celtic we have bought 4 players from Manchester City's academy (1 English, 3 non-English). They are doing well. Dedryck Boyata, Olivier Ntcham, Patrick Roberts (PR7 on-loan) and Jason Denayer whos at Lyon now. I mean this thread is really about English players and the academy's are just stacking talent.

You mean Robb Starke?

haha, it's the same guy jesus.

Foden should leave too...

You bet he should at City. I haven't even started with Manchester United yet.

Bundesliga is far more favorable for young players than PL, and knowing this is one of better English generations in recent time, I think more and more players will follow Sancho. Also bare in mind that Dortmund is one of top teams in Germany, with one of most expensive squads, and they still give a ton of playtime to an 18 year old players who moved there two years ago.

Currently there is Sancho, Nelson and Bennetts from what I remember, also there was Hinds in Wolfsburg but I think they released him. Anyways there is ton of potential for development in Bundesliga, so they should take their chances if they see that managers aren't planning on giving them playtime in PL.

La Liga is also good for young English talent. I'm a little surprised they're not more inclined to try their luck at Spanish teams or Portuguese teams.

La Liga is also good for young English talent. I'm a little surprised they're not more inclined to try their luck at Spanish teams or Portuguese teams.

If you are watching Girona this season they took Patrick Roberts on-loan from City. I think he is having a tough time in La Liga but it's different in technical quality. Hope he can improve.

Bundesliga is far more favorable for young players than PL, and knowing this is one of better English generations in recent time, I think more and more players will follow Sancho.

I hope so. I just tried using him on FIFA 19 and he is greece lightning on the wing. Also yes, English players would come through the system more easily. They have a fantastic business model in Germany where to just develop the player to the limit. Then sell to the highest bidder

@liomess

Our very own Michael Hector played in the Bundesliga.

Overhyped IMO, Wilshere couldn't make the squad because he needed 'regular' gametime. Sancho has only started 3 games I think. I think he has the most assists, and he might be doing good, but the whole of Dortmund is competitive atm.

Very much hyped to see if this kid can keep this up and realize his full potential, the fact he ain't playing in England anymore is a good start. :P

Agreed emo. I think its the fact that he was booted from City and chose to go overseas and make the England team is exciting for other young lions.

@Ledley Of course it is! If we look at other national team that find success, the thing they have in common is that their player play in differents leagues, which permit each player to bring something different to their national side. However, this has been an huge issue with England for a long time. Beside, playing in the same league just serve to divide a national team more since most of the player are rival with each other in said league. :(

Worth mentioning that Nelson has 4 goals in about 160 minutes of Bundesliga football. Only difference between him and Sancho is that Nelson is on loan from Arsenal. I wonder will Emery let him have another season in Bundesliga or try to make him starter in Arsenal.

@Croatian Just goes to show Bundesliga is perfect for young talent to develop and prove their worth. Hope they both keep this up.

Tbh, England recently had a very talented crop of players in the U-17,U-18 and U-19. Instead of wasting their time in England, they should just go to Germany, which is the holy land for young talents, or if tactically strong then Italy (not their top teams), or physically strong then France(most of the teams apart from PSG), or quick and technically sound then Spain (not their top teams).

Wasting their time on the bench or youth game won't improve their ability. And if worst come to worst, they should just drop down to play in the lower league. it will help the players to grow.

He even scored against Atletico yesterday. This kid got a big future if he keep this up.

@Emo Yes. I think he still holds the record in Europe for coming off the bench and scoring. He came on in the 78th and scored in the 83rd. He is a baby faced assassin. An Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.