When Jadon Sancho completed his £72.9million move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021, few would have predicted that he would miss out on England's World Cup squad in Qatar just over a year later.
He joined United on the back of a stellar campaign in Germany, scoring a very impressive 16 goals and registering 20 assists in just 38 appearances. The winger was one of the most sought-after players in world football and United had long since made it their mission to secure his signature.
His arrival at Old Trafford, unsurprisingly, was greeted with a wave of excitement. United had ambitions of competing for the title again and Sancho's big-money arrival not only strengthened their right-wing options but also injected a feeling of confidence and belief into the club.
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But more than 16 months into his United career, Sancho is yet to get going. The 22-year-old has made just 52 appearances, scoring eight goals and registering four assists in the process. The Reds have yet to get a return on their investment.
Though he was signed to bolster the club's right-wing options, the best of his performances in United colours have come down the left. He offered signs of promise on that side of the pitch in the second half of last season under former interim manager Ralf Rangnick, offering hope that the German had unlocked his potential in English football.
But despite showing signs of encouragement during pre-season, operating in a fluid front-three alongside Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, Sancho has failed to fulfil his potential once again so far this season. His early-season struggles meant that he faced an almost impossible task to try and force his way into Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
But instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself during the World Cup break, Sancho - advised by Erik ten Hag - has been in the Netherlands, working with coaches recommended to him by the United boss. The winger has been working on an individual training programme, all in an effort to try and rekindle his career.
For that, you have to admire Sancho; he has done something about his recent struggles and is clearly determined to get his career back on track and make a name for himself at Old Trafford. After all, at the age of 22, time is still very much on his side.
His individual training programme in the Netherlands meant that he did not go to Spain with the rest of United's squad, made up of players who were not in World Cup action, for their warm-weather training camp and friendlies with Cadiz CF and Real Betis last week. He is expected to link back up with the squad at Carrington this week ahead of next Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie with Burnley at Old Trafford.
Whether he will feature against the Clarets or not, of course, remains to be seen. But if he does feature in some capacity, United's supporters should not expect an immediate transformation; he will need time to get into some sort of rhythm again and rediscover his confidence.
Over time, however, all eyes will be on him, because everyone will be eager to see just how well he responds to his individual training programme. He is understood to have been onboard with Ten Hag's advice and the Dutchman will be hoping that the coaches he recommended have served him well.
If the winger does respond positively to the coaching methods and advice he has recently been given, Ten Hag will deserve enormous praise for finding an alternative solution to getting his career back on track. Although we have not yet seen Sancho at his best in England, we all know there is a player in there somewhere - of that there's no doubt.
But if he does emerge from the World Cup break in better shape and start to offer encouragement, it will, once again, prove Antony right about Ten Hag and his coaching credentials. When the duo worked together at Ajax, the Brazilian waxed lyrical about Ten Hag's ability to improve every player that he gets the opportunity to work with.
"Every player under his guidance becomes a better footballer through his training," Antony told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "Since my arrival, he has given me a lot of confidence and believed in what I can do."
Although, in the event of Sancho finding his mojo again, it will have been via a slightly different route than usual, the statement still has substance. It was on Ten Hag's advice that the former Dortmund man should travel to the Netherlands and work on an individual programme, meaning he is prepared to try everything possible to get a tune out of his players.
Fingers crossed for Sancho, Ten Hag and United that it works.
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