EVERYONE knows which English player has been the biggest revelation in the Bundesliga this season.
That’s right — Jonjoe Kenny.
Jonjoe Kenny, on loan at Schalke from Everton, is looking forward to taking on fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho
⚠️ Read our coronavirus in sport live blog for the latest news & updates
Jadon Sancho has stolen the headlines for another stellar campaign with Borussia Dortmund, but his qualities were already well known in Germany.
It’s Kenny, on loan from Everton at Schalke, who has been the break-out star from these shores.
Kenny, 23, and Sancho are set to clash on Saturday when Schalke visit Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
The Revierderby between the Ruhr region rivals will be the match of the day as the German league leads the way in football breaking out of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Kenny acknowledged after signing his Schalke loan deal last June that 20-year-old Sancho’s success had been a major factor in his decision.
The right-back said: “When you see what Jadon Sancho has been doing in the Bundesliga since joining Dortmund, you can only be astonished.
“Even at his age, he has achieved great things and managed to become one of English football’s biggest stars.”
Kenny also took advice from former England Under-21 team-mate Reiss Nelson, who enjoyed a good spell on loan at Hoffenheim from Arsenal last season.
And another English connection, in the shape of former Huddersfield boss David Wagner being in charge at Schalke, has been a big factor in the Scouser settling in so well.
Kenny said: “It’s massive that I have a coach who’s been fantastic, brilliant for me. He gave me confidence from day one to go out and perform.
“When I came here, the coach knew me, I knew him. He knew my qualities, I knew his. If I’m not performing, you don’t play, that’s down to you.
“I came here to play, but you have to perform, week in week out. I’ve got no time to be slacking. I have to be on it in training every day, every week.”
There is every indication that Kenny has been doing exactly what Wagner demands. He has racked up more Bundesliga minutes this season than any other Englishman, including Sancho.
He has started all 23 matches he has been available for — two were missed through illness and injury — and he has played the full 90 minutes in all but a couple of those.
Amid all the managerial changes at Everton in recent years, the England Under-21 international was in the Blues’ starting line-up just 25 times.
Having grown up just around the corner from Goodison Park, he made a childhood dream come true by coming all the way through the ranks to reach the first team.
By expanding his horizons, the member of England’s Under-20 World Cup-winning team has given his career a new kickstart.
When Kenny’s loan deal at Schalke expires, his next move will be interesting. But there will be much more focus on Sancho’s future.
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS – STAY IN THE KNOW
Don’t miss the latest news and figures – and essential advice for you and your family.
To receive The Sun’s Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply ‘Like’ our Coronavirus page.
Get Britain’s best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day – find out more.
During the current campaign, the former Manchester City trainee has hit 14 goals and made 16 assists in 23 Bundesliga appearances, leading to speculation about a £100m-plus transfer to Manchester United, Chelsea and a number of other big European clubs.
But Dortmund are still hopeful of holding on to Sancho for another year and there are plenty of good reasons to stay. Not least the chance to play with another English-born star — exciting striker Erling Haaland.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, the son of former Leeds defender Alfe Inge was eclipsing even Sancho with his exploits.
Since his arrival from RB Salzburg in January, he has managed 12 goals and two assists in just 11 appearances.
But the strapping striker is not even the youngest child of a former Premier League star in the Dortmund squad.
That honour goes to Sunderland-born Giovanni Reyna, 17, son of former Black Cats midfielder Claudio.
Add Schalke’s 19-year-old Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo — another former Manchester City youngster — and Saturday’s match of the day in Germany will have quite a British flavour.
Bottom club Paderborn also signed Antony Evans from Everton in January.
The midfielder, 21, is yet to make it off the bench in the Bundesliga.
But he will hope the move pays off as much for him as it has for former club-mate Kenny. Oh, and Sancho.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
