Manchester United interim head coach Ralf Rangnick has said that Jadon Sancho's skillset "perfectly" complements the team.

The 21-year-old found it difficult to make his mark for the Red Devils in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, but he has been in impressive form in recent weeks and scored his second Premier League goal of the season against Southampton on Saturday.

Rangnick has lavished praise on the England international and insisted that he will go from strength to strength as he adjusts to life at Old Trafford.

"Jadon, I've known since he was 17 when he still played in England. I contacted him and his agent when he was 17 and tried to convince him to join us at [RB] Leipzig, in the end he decided to go to [Borussia] Dortmund and had a great time there. His development there, he became one of the best wingers in the league, if not in Europe," Rangnick told reporters.

"The step to a club like Manchester United is a big one for anyone, at the time a 21-year-old, that was a massive step and this takes time.

"The style of football we play fits perfectly with his assets and his strengths, coming from the left side and I also try to show him and give him my support, tell him he should have a go even in this league, it's more physical, more competitive and the same happened with other players who played in those positions.

"And the same will hopefully happen in the next couple of weeks with a player like Marcus Rashford, who did well in the last couple of weeks. This is what it's about: to get the best out of players, play in their best possible position and, in this club, also helping them cope with the pressure and the level of expectations that is different from when he came to Dortmund at the age of 17."

Sancho has scored four times in 26 appearances for Man United since making the move from Dortmund during last summer's transfer window.

Written by
Matt Law