Jadon Sancho struggled to control the wide smile etched across his face after making his Manchester United return last month.
Sancho had spent three months away from the pitch and he looked delighted to make his return against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford, where he received a heartwarming reception from thousands of supporters.
After the full-time whistle, Sancho showed his appreciation for that brilliant reception by applauding each corner of the ground. "Wow, just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support I've received," he wrote on Instagram.
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Erik ten Hag expertly and sensitively handled the Sancho situation and seeing the 22-year-old, who decided to take a step back from social media during his time away, playing football with a smile on his face is what everyone wanted.
Since making that return, the winger's attention has turned to winning a place in the starting line-up and that is his next challenge, although considering the players currently ahead of him, that might be another mountain to climb.
Sancho has played against Leeds, Barcelona, Leicester, Newcastle, Southampton, Real Betis and Fulham since his return and he's played on the left wing, in attacking midfield and the right wing across those appearances.
He was brought to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund for £72.9million in the summer of 2021 to play on the right side, but he's predominantly played on the left in Manchester, which is the position he's looked most comfortable in.
That should be no surprise when analysing his Dortmund statistics, as he scored 20 goals from the left wing in 3,099 minutes and 24 goals from the right wing in 5,265 minutes during his four years spent playing in Germany.
The problem for Sancho this season is that Marcus Rashford is undroppable and Alejandro Garnacho, albeit he recently sustained an injury, has proved to be a capable deputy, so fighting for a start on the right has seemed more realistic.
However, Antony was signed to start on the right wing in the summer and Ten Hag fought hard to sign him from Ajax. The club invested £85.5m in the Brazilian and he is the first choice in that position ahead of Sancho.
The competition on both wings explains why Ten Hag has attempted to play Sancho in attacking midfield, but while the experiment seemed to work against Leicester, the evidence that has followed suggests he's not as effective there.
It also means that Bruno Fernandes is forced to relocate and he is one of the world's best No.10s. You should always play your best players in their strongest positions and Fernandes has more influence in attacking midfield.
Sancho had the opportunity to start on the right against Fulham in the FA Cup and he was quiet throughout the game until he eventually switched flanks, which saw him win the penalty for the first goal and have a part to play in the second.
It's obvious Sancho has a preference to play on the left, but for the sake of the balance of the squad, it would be best for him to rediscover his form on the right and that is a puzzle for the coaching staff at Carrington to solve.
The concern is whether he will ever actually return to the form that established him as one of Europe's finest youth prospects, as Sancho contributed 50 goals and 64 assists for Dortmund but he's only managed 10 goals and four assists for United.
His worsening output has been exacerbated by a loss of identity on the pitch. A versatile, potentially world-class talent is now down the pecking order on both wings at the club and Ten Hag has the task of getting him back to his best.
When Sancho is at his best, he possesses the talent to start on either side and there are five months until the new Premier League campaign begins, which is a season that could ultimately decide the trajectory of his career.
It will be his third year at Manchester United and time to prove he can become a successful signing.
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