Jadon Sancho says being called up by England is the âbiggest thing that could ever happen to a young kidâ and pledged to make his mark on football like Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic has.
Fresh from signing a new and improved deal until 2022, manager Gareth Southgate doubled down on his focus on youth with his squad selection for the upcoming Nations League double-header away to Croatia and Spain.
Sancho was perhaps the most eye-catching inclusion, with his promising performances in Germany seeing him become the first player born this millennium to be called up by the senior team.
The 18-year-old is reaping the rewards of taking the path less followed, having made the courageous â if at the time slightly controversial â move from Manchester City to Dortmund last summer.
Sancho said: âIt means a lot to me, especially my family. When I was a young kid, I always dreamed of obviously playing for my country. Thatâs the biggest thing that could ever happen to a young kid like me.
âIt would be a dream come true (to make my debut against Croatia). I couldnât ask for anything better than that.
âObviously I just have to keep on working hard in training and see what the manager does.â
Sancho seemed a little taken aback by the media interest at St Georgeâs Park, but not quite as much as when the call came in from Southgate rather than England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd.
âI was a bit surprised, to be fair, because obviously Iâm so young so I have still got a lot to learn,â he said with a smile.
âIâm just grateful that heâs seeing my progress in the Bundesliga and very thankful.â
Sancho politely declined to talk about leaving Pep Guardiolaâs City but was forthcoming when it came to life in Germany, expressing gratitude to the Dortmund fans and head coach Lucien Favre.
The teenager is slowly learning German but adaptation to life on the field has been rapid, thanks in no small part to their trust in young players â and advice from the likes of team-mate Pulisic.
âObviously Christian Pulisic is another young guy, and I learn from him all the time,â Sancho said of the United States international.
âHis confidence to just take on players â no matter like whether there are four or five guys around him, he still tries.
âThatâs what he tells me off the pitch, âyouâve just got to do your thing, thatâs why youâre here â youâve got to make everyone understand youâre Jadon Sanchoâ. Thatâs what he said to me.â
Playing alongside the likes of Pulisic, Mario Gotze and Marco Reus makes Sancho âmore groundedâ, while living with his dad in Dortmund also helps.
The attacking midfielderâs performances have recently been rewarded with a contract extension with the German giants until 2022 but living abroad has brought challenges.
Sancho said: âObviously moving from home, that was the biggest. Leaving my mum behind and my sisters. I miss them a lot, but I want to do whatâs best for me and felt like moving to Germany was the best thing.â
Sanchoâs transfer from Watford to City helped prepare him for the mental leap to Germany â a move abroad he would recommend to like-minded players.
There were nerves at first, but Sancho soon settled into life at Dortmund and the number seven shirt vacated by Ousmane Dembele when he joined Barcelona.
Playing for England brings new pressures, though, and his performances have seen a ÂŁ100million price tag to be mentioned.
âThatâs mad!â Sancho said with a laugh when told of that figure. âWoah!
âThatâs⌠I donât know⌠I donât know what to say to that.â
Asked if he felt he would play club football in England again, he said: âI donât know. Itâs the future. You never know what could happen, so we wait and see.â
For now, his focus is on international matters.
Sancho already has a World Cup winnersâ medal to his name â even though he had to watch last yearâs under-17 final on an internet stream after being called back from India by Dortmund.
Earlier that summer the attacking midfielder won player of the tournament as Steve Cooperâs Young Lions reached the Under-17 European Championship final and the teenager believes that was a âvery special groupâ.
âThe growth in England at the moment is crazy,â Sancho added. âThereâs a lot of great young players out there.â