First there was Jadon Sancho. Then there was Jude Bellingham. Now, it would appear, there is Jamie Gittens. Not for the first time in recent years, Borussia Dortmund are providing a platform to a young English talent with the potential to reach the top. Anyone who has watched Gittens of late knows just how good he is.
The 20-year-old has scored in each of his last four Dortmund appearances. His goal in Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich was particularly eye-catching and made a statement about the match-winning ability of a player increasingly seen as the Black and Yellows next superstar. Gittens has made himself undroppable.
His development at the Westfalenstadion has been rapid. Signed from Manchester City in 2020, he was viewed differently to other young English players who joined Dortmund around the same time. Sancho was a star in the City academy while Bellingham had been publicly courted by Manchester United and cost £25m. Gittens’ arrival flew under the radar.
He was raw. The talent was there, but Gittens needed moulding. He made his Bundesliga debut as a teenager in the 2021/22 season, but only started one match. The following season, he started four times. Then 14 times the season after that. This season, he is a key figure for Nuri Şahin’s side.
Comparisons to Bellingham and Sancho are unavoidable, but Gittens’ game is very different to either of his compatriots. Bellingham, of course, is a central midfielder, but even Sancho – a fellow winger – operates differently. While Sancho wants plenty touches of the ball, Gittens is all about bursting into open space. He is a more explosive threat.
This was evident in the way Gittens found the back of the net against Bayern Munich, breaking down the left wing before finishing across goal and into the far corner. Konrad Laimer is probably still having nightmares about the way the 20-year-old left him for dead with an incredible dummy which opened up the space for Gittens to exploit.
Dortmund fans have seen Gittens produce this sort of moment several times this season. It’s ‘The Gittens Goal,’ as it’s becoming known. There are even clips of the young Englishman practicing this exact move – an explosive run down the left side followed by a cut inside and finish – on the training pitch. Gittens has put the work in.
“You need one-on-one players who have speed,” said Dortmund manager Şahin when asked to explain what makes Gittens so dangerous. “He’s maturing in his game. We talk a lot about risk and reward. When do I go into the one-on-one, when do I prepare for it? When he gets rolling, he’s a fantastic player. He’s also made huge strides defensively.”
While the Champions League has once again brought the best out of Borussia Dortmund this season, winning four of their five league phase fixtures so far, their inconsistent Bundesliga form has seen Şahin scrutinised. Sitting in sixth place, 12 points off Bayern Munich at the top of the table, the title race is already gone for the Black and Yellows. There never was one.
Gittens, though, has been a highlight for a club currently retooling for the future. Borussia Dortmund need new stars and the 20-year-old is certainly shining brightly with Wednesday’s match against Barcelona another opportunity to make an impact. Barca’s high line under Hansi Flick will give Gittens plenty space to expose in behind. It could be a good match-up for him.
Statistically, Gitten’s skill set is clear in the numbers he is currently charting. He is in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons that lead to an attempt on goal per 90 minutes. He also ranks in the 94th percentile for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. In terms of progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, Gittens is similarly up there.
On his current trajectory, it won’t be long until Gittens is being called into the England squad. Thomas Tuchel is surely looking at his former club and the eye-catching performances of their young winger with the German coach set to take over as The Three Lions’ new manager at the start of 2025.
Competition is stiff in the wide areas of the England squad. Gittens would be up against the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Sancho, but his skill set could give the national team a different dimension. Of the aforementioned bunch, only Rashford has the explosiveness of Gittens and that hasn’t been seen for a long time.
For club and country, the future is bright for Gittens who chose an alternative path to further his development just as Bellingham and Sancho did when they were at a similar age. Dortmund are still a work-in-progress under Şahin, but they have another English star to illuminate the way forward.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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