Kylian Mbappe has sent a heartfelt message to Jadon Sancho after Manchester United defeated Newcastle 2-0 at Wembley to win the Carabao Cup on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag's side secured their first major honour in six years thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. Sancho came on in the 83rd minute to help Man Utd see out the final and secure the second major trophy of his blossoming career.
Sancho is regarded as one of Europe's most exciting young players but has struggled for form since his £73million move from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021. The 22-year-old recently took a break from football to work on his physical and mental fitness.
Sancho was left out of England's World Cup squad and did not play a Premier League game for nearly four months. He made his comeback at the beginning of February and was delighted to help Man Utd end their trophy drought at Wembley on Sunday.
The England international was spotted laughing and joking with Bruno Fernandes at full-time and posted a picture of him and Rashford with the Carabao Cup trophy after their victory. "Carabao Cup winners," wrote Sancho on Instagram.
Sancho was congratulated by his peers - including Mbappe. "Good to see you with a smile," wrote the France international - alluding to the Man Utd star's recent break.
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Sancho, who came through the ranks at Manchester City, made a name for himself after joining Dortmund in August 2017. The youngster went on to become a sensation in Germany - scoring 38 goals and providing 51 assists in 104 Bundesliga games.
Sancho also won the DFB-Pokal - also known as the German Cup - in May 2021. A transfer to Old Trafford felt inevitable after that, although the move came just days after Sancho missed a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout defeat to Italy.
Rashford and Bukayo Saka also missed penalties and all three players were subjected to racial abuse on social media. It is unclear how well Sancho recovered from his Euro 2020 disappointment, as he struggled to impress during his first season at Old Trafford.
Sancho scored just five goals in all competitions, as Man Utd finished sixth in the Premier League. The arrival as Ten Hag as manager last summer initially failed to get the best out of Sancho - forcing the Dutchman to take drastic action.
Sancho was left out of United's squad for their winter training camp in Spain and placed on an individual programme. "He wasn't fit enough to be there [in Spain]," said Ten Hag in December. "It's a combination of physically and mentally."
The winger has scored two goals in three Premier League appearances since his comeback and will be hoping the Carabao Cup victory can be used as a springboard for success. Next up for Man Utd is their FA Cup tie against West Ham at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
