Jadon Sancho is ready to bring the cage football he grew up with in south London to Wembley on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old from Kennington is thriving back at Borussia Dortmund after leaving Manchester United on loan in January, and will be key to their chances of an upset against Real Madrid.
Sancho insists he will express himself on the pitch on Saturday and is confident he will light it up on his return to the capital.
“I grew up with cage football and it has always been with me,” he said. “Every time I go on to the pitch I try to do the skills I did in the cage.
“Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but if you do not try it will never work. I will just try to play my normal game.
“This is a very special game. As a kid you dream of these moments, to play in a big game like this against Madrid. I do like the big games, they fire me up. I am ready to go.”
Sancho started the season banished from the United squad, but could end it as a Champions League winner and has shown Erik ten Hag what the United boss has been missing by starring for Dortmund on their run to Wembley.
United expect to sell Sancho this summer and could take a hit on the £73million they paid for him three years ago, but the winger has looked worthy of that price tag at Dortmund.
“Madrid’s history speaks for itself and they have a lot of great players,” said Sancho, who is out to write a new Wembley story after missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. “It is going to be tense, but I cannot wait.”