Jadon Sancho has now got the Manchester United he hoped he was joining

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Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has shown more glimpses of his quality since returning to the side after a break to regain his fitness.

Erik ten Hag permitted Sancho to spend several weeks training individually in order to recapture his highest fitness levels.

Sancho has scored twice since his return to action to take his season tally to five, and he is playing with a smile on his face.

Former star Patrice Evra praised his work rate after the win over Leicester, in which Sancho scored one and created three chances in 45 minutes.

READ: Confirmed Manchester United transfers in, out, loan deals for January 2023

Sancho has got the Manchester United he signed up for

Jadon Sancho’s first season at Manchester United was one to forget. From an individual standpoint it was distinctly average, with a paltry return of four goals. The strikes were memorable, one against City, Chelsea, and Villarreal, and assists against Arsenal and Tottenham, but these came amid a backdrop of a club in disarray.

When Sancho signed for United in a £73 million deal in 2021, he hoped to be signing for a club which was going places.

United had finished second in the Premier League the previous season and qualified for the Champions League.

Sancho hoped he was signing for a club which was ready to compete for trophies, part of a settled side, and could be the missing piece.

It all worked out horrendously. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired within months, interim Ralf Rangnick was appointed, and United’s season was effectively over by mid-March with nothing to play for. Amid weekly rumours of a dressing room split and leaks of disarray behind the scenes, Sancho could have been forgiven for wondering if he made the wrong choice of club.

Now in February 2023, Sancho will feel he is in the right place. This is the Manchester United he signed up for.

New manager Erik ten Hag has created a ‘team’ who play for each other, and have the fans behind them. Old Trafford is a positive place for fans and players to be on matchdays, and Sancho is benefitting.

He is frequently the last player to leave the pitch at Old Trafford as he applauds the supporters. Sancho is clearly enjoying everything about Manchester United right now.

He is part of a team competing for trophies on four fronts, for now at least, with a manager who values him highly, and is looking to develop him in multiple positions and make him a better footballer.

The rest is up to Sancho

United have now met their part of the bargain, the problem situations of last season have been replaced by positives.

The rest is up to him. There is plenty of hard work ahead for Sancho, who must repay the investment United made in him, and the faith shown by Erik ten Hag. He certainly has the quality to do so.

The excuses are gone now. His early struggles were not helped by a lack of pre-season in 2021, which he came into in a difficult position mentally after his Euro penalty shootout miss with England. The winger faced a challenge to adjust to the intensity of Premier League football for the first time.

Now back as part of a thriving side, the challenge to Sancho is clear. Get on board or be left behind. What he has shown in recent weeks has been very encouraging.

Sancho has the United he signed up for, and can no longer point to the club’s environment as reason for a lack of success. Instead, it looks like if Sancho is successful, he will be pointing to how well run the club is under Erik ten Hag, as the main reason.

It’s been quite a turnaround for Manchester United over the past few months, and Sancho has a big part to play as he prepares to shift his own career into a new gear.