Originally from the United Kingdom, several of them have tried the experience of joining Germany to gain experience before exploding in the eyes of the whole of Europe. As for Borussia Dortmund, we can refer to the career of Jadon Sancho. Turning his back on Manchester City in 2017, the Londoner then made the screen with the Marsupials before turning back to return three years later to the north of England, this time with the enemy. The case of Jude Bellingham also comes to mind. The young shoot from Birmingham City, transferred to Dortmund for 25 million euros, was sold for almost 100 million more by the residents of the Westphalen Stadion last summer to Real Madrid, after being voted best player in the German championship last season. Now, yet another compatriot could follow in their footsteps, in the person of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, much more than a supersub
Restricted to a role of second knife since the start of the current financial year, the London native has gone from shadow to light in the space of a few weeks. If Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was content, until now, with a few crumbs at the end of the match, he started for the second time this season as a starter against Borussia Mönchengladbach as part of the 12th day, the weekend -last end. Beaten by Stuttgart before the November international window, Borussia Dortmund had to react to stay in touch with the top places and the podium. However, Edin Terzic’s men started the match very poorly, trailing by two goals after half an hour. It was at this precise moment that Jamie Bynoe-Gittens came out of his box. Alongside Marcel Sabitzer’s reduction in the gap, the dynamic English winger became a decisive passer for Niklas Füllkrug. Inspired, he puts his head in the right tempo for his teammate, ideally placed in the opponent’s area. igniting the end of the first act, the British Under-21 international saw his efforts rewarded. On the lookout for a ball scratched in the opponent’s feet by Marco Reus, the 19-year-old player followed up with a clear shot from the right to give the advantage to his team which was subsequently never taken back by the Borussia M’Gladbach (4-2).
Crowned with a goal as part of the “Borussia derby”, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was returned to Edin Terzic’s starting lineup for the clash between Dortmund and AC Milan counting for the 5th day of the Champions League. Faithful to his convictions, the 41-year-old coach took a daring gamble by opting for a player with a handful of appearances in the European Cup to the detriment of Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi and Giovanni Reyna who have some experience at this level. But in view of the final result, his choice of BvB coach proved to be coherent and judicious. After a timid start in C1, punctuated by a defeat in Paris (2-0) and a draw against the Lombard club (0-0), the flock of the German-Croatian technician had the opportunity to validate their ticket for the next round in case of victory. Far from feeling destabilized by the height of the events, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens managed to do well by justifying the expectations placed on him by his trainer. Aligned on the left wing in a 4-2-3-1, the Englishman did a lot of harm with his burst of speed and technical agility to Davide Calabria who committed the irreparable in the 9th minute by causing a penalty after having tried to slow down his counterpart. Then came the turn of Malick Thiaw, who, faced with the sharp accelerations of the London prodigy, was injured and was forced to leave his partners upon returning from the locker room. Involved in the opening score for the Marsupiaux, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens allowed his team to take control of the match in the second half. Full axis, he manages to be forgotten by the Lombard defense to conclude with the inside of the right foot a collective action roughly carried out by Marcel Sabitzer and Niklas Füllkrug (58th).
A promise for the future that is worth its weight in gold!
Approved by the few BvB supporters parked in the visiting corner of San Siro when he left in the 66th minute of play – replaced by Marius Wolf – the main player will remember his trip to Milan for a long time. “For me it was the perfect match to score here at San Siro. It felt so good to celebrate after my goal. Score in the Champions League? It’s a special feeling that you will never forget in your entire life. Somehow it gives you wings”, he conceded in the mixed zone. Thus, the Borussia Dortmund striker, great architect of his team’s success on the other side of the Alps, opened his account in the most prestigious competition at a crucial moment in the Marsupials’ campaign. At the end of the meeting, his teammate on the front of the Yellow and Black attack Niklas Füllkrug had strong words for him. “He still needs to progress in decision-making. But he is always dangerous for the opponent. We know we don’t have to support him individually. A player like that in the team is worth his weight in gold and we will be happy if he continues like that. He will be even better when he raises his head more to see the exact position of his partners”said the former Werder Bremen striker when commenting on the Englishman’s recent performances, comments reported by Kicker.
In addition, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens amply seized his chance by taking advantage of Karim Adeyemi’s current poor form, which has been fueling criticism for several weeks in Bas-Rhin. With the Englishman, the BvB now benefits from a lively and impactful professional winger, capable of searching for depth and challenging opposing full-backs one on one. It must be said that since the start of the season, Edin Terzic has not been able to get the best out of the lanes. Facing difficulties in this sector of play, the German-Croatian technician tended to tinker and opt for Julian Brandt as a makeshift winger while the ex-Bayer Leverkusen player prefers to play in the center. A default choice given Karim Adeyemi’s current poor form. At the end of a mixed first season in Germany (9 goals, 6 assists in 32 games), the former Salzburg defector is struggling to confirm the expectations placed on him. If Donyell Malen also offers an alternative solution to this position in his good days, the Dutchman is still far too irregular. It is in this perspective that Jamie Bynoe-Gittens appears as the providential man. There is no doubt that BvB supporters expect to see the Briton talk the talk when it comes time to face Bayer Leverkusen, whose hype does not diminish as the weeks go by.
Obviously, this shock at the top counting for the 13th day of the Bundesliga offers the opportunity for the English nugget to confirm that he is a great hope in the making and to draw a definitive line on the repeated physical glitches. Possessed by Dortmund from the Manchester City academy in 2020, the Londoner had a special start to his adventure. Victim of a torn ankle ligament, the ex-Mancunian saw his progress suddenly slowed down. Once back on his feet, the British winger shone under the Borussia Dortmund colors, particularly in the Youth League, scoring 6 goals in 5 matches. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens immediately caught the eye of the BvB management who rushed to integrate him into the first team with a view to continuing his training at the highest level. The following season, recurring shoulder discomfort got the better of him. But despite a long period of unavailability, the Englishman persevered to make time. Accumulating 15 appearances for 3 goals at the end of the 2022-23 financial year. Absent during the summer preparation, the Londoner certainly played little at the start of the season, but his short playing time did not prevent him from extending his contract at the beginning of October with the Marsupiaux until June 2028. And according to the words made by Sébastian Kehl, it is anything but the result of chance. “Jamie (Bynoe-Gittens editor’s note) is a promise for the future. A winger who has enormous speed, who is constantly looking for one-on-one situations, who can resolve them with his technical quality, create scoring chances for his teammates or finish himself. We are convinced that his development is far from over and we are delighted that Jamie has decided to pursue a long-term future at BvB earlier than expected, despite the great interest shown by several major European clubs., expressed the sporting director of the Rouge et Jaune when it came time to renew his lease at the beginning of October. So, can Jamie Bynoe-Gittens be Borussia Dortmund’s X-factor against the attractive Bayer Leverkusen team? Answer Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the BayArena.
