Since 2017, the relationship between Borussia Dortmund and English players has flourished, and the stats don’t lie. The German club’s investment in young English talent is one that has seen players such as Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham venture to new heights.
As a result of this, young English players are less afraid to apply their trade abroad in the hope of becoming more well-rounded players and, potentially, future stars. The next English talent off the Dortmund development belt comes in the left winger, 18-year-old, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Growing up in Reading, Bynoe-Gittens signed for Reading’s academy at the U9 level before switching to Manchester City’s U15s. Similar to his fellow countryman, Jadon Sancho, Bynoe-Gittens made the switch to Dortmund in 2020, where he has continued to develop since.
In this piece, we will analyse the stats and attributes that have allowed the young Englishman to burst onto the scene in this season’s Bundesliga and where he can improve to fulfil his full potential.
The ability to dribble
When finding a comparison for the young winger, Bynoe-Gittens is seen in the mould of Neymar as opposed to a Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford type winger. The main reason for this comparison is due to Bynoe-Gitten’s confidence to take defenders on, his dribbling ability, and his flair for trickery.
The stat map above shows the dribble attempts and overall wing play of Bynoe-Gittens from this season. As you can see, the English right footer is predominantly playing down the left-hand side this season and enjoys cutting in on his stronger right foot to create an opportunity.
So far this season, Bynoe-Gittens has attempted 36 dribbles with only 13 being successful, which has resulted in an average dribble success rate of 54.9%.
With confidence in dribbling the ball, it is no surprise to see that Bynoe-Gittens has no fear when it comes to carrying the ball into dangerous areas by penetrating the opposition’s defence. In his 11 appearances this season, the young winger has carried out 27 penetrating carries into the opponent’s 18-yard box, which has led to dangerous attacking plays for his team.
Pressing Play
As you can see from the map above, Bynoe-Gittens is no stranger to pressing the ball high up the pitch, as the amount of high regains he has made in the eleven games he’s played is seven. Of these seven high regains, six are counter-pressing recoveries when Bynoe-Gittens quickly regains possession after a loss. The young English winger has so far recovered the ball for his team 34 times in the opposition half, which is an impressive success rate of 64.7%. So far this season, Bynoe-Gittens has an average of 1.69 interceptions in six games, which is quite impressive.
This desire to win the ball back right after dispossession or to help his team out on the press is one that will see Bynoe-Gittens get better, as it is now a key aspect of the modern winger’s game. Higher regains up the pitch will enable the winger to have more opportunities, allowing him to increase his goal and assist totals.
Not shy to shoot
If there is an area where Bynoe-Gittens is showing great promise, it is in his willingness to have an attempt on goal from various positions. The stat chart above represents the attempts at goal by Bynoe-Gittens, with the xG being the ‘expected goals’.
As you can see, the young winger is not shy about having an attempt at goal from a distance, with two of his three goals coming from outside the 18-yard box. So far this season, Bynoe-Gittens’s goal return is three in 11 appearances, which is not bad considering this is his first real taste of consistent top-level football.
Though it is still early days in the young winger’s adaptation to top-level football, it is a promising sign to see a winger have no fear to beat defenders and create opportunities at goal.
Crossing
Bynoe-Gittens has failed to deliver a cross, which is not good enough for a player of his quality in his position. As the crossing zone chart above shows, Bynoe-Gittens tends to try his luck at getting the ball in the box anywhere along the left-hand side.
However, as the image also shows, his success rate when attempting a delivery into the box is not at the level required yet. In 11 games for Dortmund this season, the young Englishman has only made five crossing attempts into the box.
As the chart from earlier supports, Bynoe-Gittens is not a keen crosser of the ball, and this is an area that I feel he will need to develop and even excel in if he is to get to the level of Sancho or Neymar.
Overall, it is clear to see that Dortmund have themselves another English rose that can blossom into a superstar. If their track record is anything to go by, I feel it won’t be long before the name Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is one that will catch the attention of Europe’s top clubs in the next couple of years.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
