Former Liverpool winger John Barnes has suggested that Jadon Sancho was being "overshadowed" by Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes when he first came into the Manchester United side.
Sancho made his return to action in the 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Wednesday night, with the England international scoring the equaliser for Erik ten Hag's side. It was his first goal since returning to the fold earlier this month following an extended run out of the team.
During his time away from the first team, the 22-year-old travelled to the Netherlands to work on an individual training programme with coaches recommended to him by Ten Hag. The former Borussia Dortmund ace has registered four goals and an assist in 16 appearances this season, so he will be hoping to kick on with United after getting back on the scoresheet.
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Sancho has endured a difficult time at Old Trafford following his move from Germany, with the attacker having scored just nine times in 54 matches. However, ex-Liverpool star Barnes has backed the United man to continue improving, while also suggesting that his confidence took a hit after being overshadowed by Ronaldo and Fernandes.
"He's a fantastic player and he has got great potential," Barnes told BonusCodeBets. "He came to United at a time where the club as a whole was struggling. He came in for £75million where he was put into the team and he was expected to be one of the main players.
"He was overshadowed by the likes of Ronaldo and Fernandes so his confidence suffered because he’s a young player. They're [United] now handling him with care. He's going to be playing with a lot more confidence and the future looks bright at United with young players being given their chance."
The Reds attacker played alongside Ronaldo on 37 occasions during their time together at Old Trafford, while 52 of his appearances have come in the same team as Fernandes.
Ronaldo left the club in November following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan. The Portuguese ace signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, where he has scored five times in four matches.
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