Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has been told by his former England youth coach Paul Simpson that he needs to do "what Erik ten Hag wants him to", as the Carlisle United manager claimed it is up to Sancho to get himself back in the team.
Sancho was omitted from England's World Cup squad for the tournament in Qatar and has since been training alone in the Netherlands with coaches recommended by Ten Hag. The 22-year-old has struggled to replicate the kind of form that saw him earn a move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League last summer.
The United forward has shown his talent in bursts this season, scoring against both Liverpool and Leicester City. Yet Sancho is still looking to produce the level of output he did in Germany, where he emerged as one of the best young players in the world.
ALSO READ: 'He wanted to kill them' - how Ten Hag turned United's season around with team meeting
Simpson, though, believes Sancho has what it takes to get his career at the Old Trafford club back on track.
He told the Mirror : "I think the big thing that I take out of it is that he's still a young lad. You probably have to say he had a meteoric rise.
"He signed for City when he was young and decided to leave because he couldn't see an opportunity. He then went to Dortmund which surprised a lot of people, but he was absolutely outstanding and did well for England in the development teams. And then he's come back here to United and it just hasn't happened yet.
"But he's still a young lad. Jadon's 22 years old and he's got a loads of football ahead of him. He's not coming towards the end of his career, he's at football club with a group of staff there who will look after him. It then has to come down to Jadon, he's got to do the work to get himself back in the team."
Simpson compared Sancho's situation to the one Harry Maguire finds himself in, with the centre-back also struggling for form at the club under Ten Hag
He added: "You could say the same about Harry Maguire - different age and everything - but everybody wrote him off last season and even this season.
"He's done really well for England, I hope he gets a chance at United if he's worthy of a place and I'm quite sure that'll happen with Jadon because he hasn't become a bad footballer overnight. He's obviously just hit the first bump in the road for a young person and I hope he comes through it because he has got as much ability as any player; he is a fantastic footballer.
"It's now just about doing what Erik ten Hag wants him to do, getting himself into a better place and I'm quite sure we'll see a lot more of Jadon Sancho."
READ NEXT:
